Switch's Story
by MatrixMadness
Summary: Pre 'The Matrix' film, tells the story of Switch and the other members of the Nebuchadnezzar before the events of the film. Story starts from the moment Switch enters the Matrix right up until her death at the hands of Cypher. Cannon pairings (Switch x Apoc), (Neo x Trinity) First fanfic ever, please R&R :)
1. The Call

Authors Note: Hello! So this is the first fanfic I've ever written and is about the life of Switch; it starts from when she first enters the Matrix right up until her death in the first film. I apologize for the first two chapters, there a little all over the place as I struggled with writing the process of her leaving the Matrix, but it picks up from there! Anyway I hope you enjoy and thank you so much for taking the time to read my story! :) xx

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Switch sat hunched over her computer screen in her small run down apartment. It was just past twelve and she was exhausted, she had spent the night researching into a program called the 'Matrix'. She had run across it when trying to hack into the government database to re-write a client's criminal record. It was the same program she had come across a while back. Since the first day she had come across the Matrix, all those years ago, it had consumed her life. She couldn't understand what it was. When she had come across it again tonight she had tried to decode it but the second she tried to it crashed her computer. She was now in the process of trying to restart it.

Switch tapped her fingers on the desk while she waited for her computer to load. The monitor flickered back on, green streams of coding running down the screen. What the hell? How did this coding get onto her computer? Her fingers jumped to the keys, trying to exit out of whatever this was. Suddenly the screen went black. She hit the power button repeatedly, trying to make it turn back on. Nothing. She ducked under the table to check the power source and everything looked fine. The problem was obviously inside her computer. She hadn't gotten a good look at what that coding was but it looked similar to the coding she had seen before. It looked like the Matrix. Whatever this 'Matrix' what it had completely stuffed her computer. She hit the monitor in frustration, a desperate final attempt to make her computer work. Knowing that hitting it, obviously, wasn't going to help she stood up and walked over to the small bed squashed into the corner of the room. Her apartment consisted of one single room with her computer in the center of it. There was a small kitchenette off to the side and a tiny adjoining bathroom. The entire place was a mess, there were papers and books strewn across the floor, filling up every knock and cranny. Boxes full of old computer parts and discs of illegally downloaded programs were stacked against all four walls. The entire place was a dump, the brick walls were smashed up and filthy, the roof was peeling with a leak above the kitchen. There was a small window on the far wall, but it was barred up and mostly covered by boxes. The only light in the room came from her computer screen and one hanging light above her bed. Her apartment was a rather suiting representation of her life, a small disaster that evolved around her computer. Jumping up onto her bed she reached up to look into one of the crushed cardboard boxes on the shelf that over hanged her bed. Pulling the box down she sat on her bed, feeling the whole bed sink as she sat down. Her knees almost hit the ground as the mattress collapsed onto the broken springs. Rummaging through the box she found what she was looking for, a new hard drive. Climbing off her bed she heard it creak back into place as she dashed back over to her computer, praying that she could fix it. She had programs downloaded on there that would be worth a pretty penny on the black market. As she reached her computer she froze dead her tracks. Her computer was on, a single line of green text lighting up the screen.

**Hello, Switch**|

Her mind raced and her heart pumped slightly faster. She stood there rendered unable to move. Her mind went straight to one name she had come across when searching the Matrix. In fact it was the only piece of data she had found related to the Matrix and she wasn't even sure if it _was _a name. Morpheus. This was what she had been waiting for. There was finally _something_ after all these years of searching. She snapped out of her daze and threw herself into the old chair, taking a deep breath she reached out for the keyboard. Before she could even think up what to say in reply another message flashed in green letters onto the screen.

**We've been watching you, Switch. You're looking for something aren't you?**|

She no longer hesitated, replying as soon as the message came in. She didn't want to lose the connection.

**Yes.**|

Chewing her nails, a bad habit she had picked up, she waited as calmly as she could for a reply. She knew she should be worried, who was this, how did they know her name? But she couldn't bring herself to care; she had been searching for too goddamn long to back out now. This was probably the only chance she would ever get to find out what the Matrix was and she didn't plan on wasting it.

**What is it that you want to know?**|

Her fingers flew across the well-worn keys as she asked the question that had been plaguing her for years.

**What is the Matrix**.|

She couldn't breath. Whatever they said to her would alter the course of her life; she knew that all to well. From what she had found going though old archives it appeared that whenever someone almost cracked the Matrix they disappeared, never to be heard of again. This wasn't a new concept to her; disappearances were common in her field of work. But she knew this was different and she wanted to find out what this was more than she cared about her safety. She was never safe; too many people already wanted her dead. She clung onto the side of the desk, her heart pounding loud enough that she could almost hear it. She was so tense she literally jumped when another reply flashed onto the screen.

**Would you like me to show you?**|

This was the moment when she had to make a decision. She knew she would never get this choice again, she could walk away now and forget about this whole thing or she could find out the truth. There was no decision to make; if she walked away she would be plagued for the rest of her life, knowing she was oblivious to something.

**Yes.**|

She typed; making the decision that would change her life forever.

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Switch shivered as a trickle of rain ran down her neck, she pulled her coat tighter around herself as she stood under an old bridge at the edge of town. The long walk from her apartment to the bridge had left her freezing cold and soaked to the bone. She was now stood under the abandoned old bridge, waiting. Whoever it was that had talked to her back in her apartment had told her to meet them here. But she was starting to get second thoughts, there wasn't a soul in sight and this was the dodgiest part of town. She had handled worse than this and was used to meeting strangers in obscure locations. But she didn't go out of her was to get herself into this kind of situation. One thing that calmed her was the loaded pistol tucked safely into her belt. In her line of work you had to watch your back. You could end up dead if you weren't careful; she had seen it before. She knew she could handle whatever was coming; she had a perfected killer aim and was well known for her abilities to get herself out of risky situations. But she had a feeling that this meeting would be different.

An old black car slowly rolled towards her and came to a stop at the edge of the bridge. Her hand instinctively gripping the handle of the gun as she slowly made her way towards the car. She wasn't sure what to expect as she cautiously reached the side of the car. She didn't want to reveal her weapon but was prepared to use it if necessary. As she approached the car's side door it was kicked open and she saw a black man sitting in the back seat grinning at her.

"Get in, Switch." he called with a chuckle, obviously amused by something.

Switch gave him a wary look as she slid into the back seat next to him, pulling the door shut behind her. She looked across at the man, she had thought he was black at first but now that she took a closer look at him she realized he wasn't. His skin was a dark tan colour, almost bronze. She couldn't actually work out what race he was. Turning to look ahead at the other passengers in the car and instead looked into the barrel of a loaded gun pointed directly at her. Her eyes bulged and her heart stopped for a second before she calmed down. This wasn't the first time she had been at gunpoint. The man next to her still seemed to find something amusing, she couldn't understand what was wrong with him. He gave the woman holding the gun a knowing look to which she in response lowered her gun. Switch didn't know what she had expected but it wasn't this. She had found herself in a car with what appeared to be a lunatic seated beside her and a woman with a gun. She looked to the driver for the first time; he was nothing special to look at, balding, mid forties with an awful mustache. As she watched him he put his foot on the accelerator and the car took off back down the deserted road. She didn't have a clue what she should do so she silently observed the other passengers for a moment. The woman in the passenger seat was rather pretty, thin with short dark brown hair. But the thing she noticed about her were her eyes, they had a kindness to them that made her feel somewhat trustworthy. The man sitting next to her was tall; he had to sit slightly hunched over in the backseat. He had dark tan skin and quite long curly black hair; if she was honest with herself he was rather good looking. She didn't exactly know what she should do, who were these people and where were they taking her?

"So," she began, breaking the silence, "where are we going?"

The man next to her started laughing but attempted to turn it into a cough, he fooled no one. She was starting to get annoyed with this guy, who did he think we was?

Switch narrowed her eyes at him; she did not like to be mocked.

"What's so funny, huh?" she snapped.

"Sorry," he started, quickly composing himself, "it's just that you haven't reacted the way the rest of us did."

Switch gave him a confused but still dangerous look that shut him up for a moment. She was pleased that he had at least stopped laughing, she definitely wasn't finding this funny.

"You didn't freak out, ask a million questions, or make a run for it like others have done." the woman explained.

Oh. So she wasn't what they had expected, that was a new one. She was used to the people she met being surprised by her gender but not by her actions.

Switch chuckled almost darkly. "I've been in worse situations than this. A gun in my face isn't enough to send me running." she stated bluntly.

"I like her." the dark man exclaimed, drawing Switch's attention back to him.

He grinned at her again; he looked like an idiot, a good-looking idiot.

"I reckon you'll fit in nicely, Switch." he added with a shyer smile, one that Switch actually returned.

"Thanks…" she trailed off, realizing she didn't even know his name.

"Apoc." he blurted out. "Sorry, how rude of us not to introduce ourselves." he apologized, laughing awkwardly.

He quickly gestured towards the woman. "This is Trinity," he said before moving on to the driver, "and this is Cypher." he added, not taking his eyes off Switch.

Cypher mock saluted her, keeping his eyes on the road and Trinity smiled warmly at her. She immediately knew they were all hacker names, like her own. That gave her a little insight into who these people were and it was nice to put a name to the face. The car fell back into an uneasy silence for a few moments as they continued on towards wherever they were going.

"Hey!" Switch cried suddenly. "You never did tell me where we're going."

"Were taking you to Morpheus." Trinity replied, a smile growing on her lips.

Just as Trinity replied to her the car swerved into a side road before slowing to a stop outside a derelict old building that looked like it might have once been a hotel. Apoc pushed open the car door and stepped out into the night, holding the door open for her. She looked to Trinity who gestured for her to leave the car. Sighing she slid along the leather seat and pulled herself out of the car and back into the pouring rain. Standing up she looked to Apoc who gave her a friendly smile. She smiled shyly back at him before noticing Trinity standing behind him, ushering her towards the building.

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Switch's eyes fluttered open but she quickly squeezed them shut again when a bright fluorescent light hit her eyes. Her eyes stung painfully, making water swell up in her eyes. She tried to open them again and saw there was a lamp swung over her, the light bulb shinning into her face. She sat up and shoved the lamp away from her. Her eyes slowly adjusted after being blinded from the bright light. She scanned the room, trying to work out where she was; it appeared to be some kind of makeshift medical bay. Her mind felt fuzzy, like everything was out of focus. She wasn't sure what had happened exactly from the time she left her apartment till now. She remembered, pills, needles, tubes, pain, a car, and she had a feeling there were two black men involved somehow.

She tried to think, to remember, but was coming up blank. Oh god, what on earth had she _done?_

She couldn't just sit here any longer; she needed to know what was going on. She swung her legs off the side of the table she had been lying on and stepped down onto the floor. Her legs felt wobbly beneath her and she felt herself falling. She reached out and grabbed the lamp for support. It wasn't as supportive as she had hoped for as they both went crashing to the ground. Her skin slapped against the metal floor and she couldn't find the energy to get back up again. She shut her eyes, unable to move. This had to be some kind of dream. She would open her eyes again and find herself back in her apartment, asleep at her computer like usual. But she wasn't. This was real and she had gotten herself into some deep shit. Looking around she realized that this defiantly wasn't a normal hospital. She was suddenly filled with dread, had something happened to her? She looked down at herself and almost screamed. There were metal plugs in her arms, grabbing one she realized they were embedded into her skin. She felt sick, who or what had done this to her? She started to panic, was this some kind of twisted science lab where they experimented on humans? Her ears pricked up at the sound of incoming footsteps. She frantically tried to scramble away from the door, terrified of what was going to come in. The door pushed open and familiar looking man walked in, smiling when he saw her. She smiled back warily at him. She didn't know how she knew him or if she even knew him at all but there was something comforting about seeing him.

"Well, look who's up! How'd you like the trip? Get it, who's 'up', because awake but you're on the floor…" he chuckled, grinning as he walked over to help her up.

When he spoke it clicked who he was, Apoc. Even after only meeting him once, she would know that stupid grin and loud mouth anywhere. She calmed down slightly at his dry humor; she was starting to remember something but she couldn't put her finger on it. For some reason she had this deep-rooted feeling that Apoc wasn't going to hurt her.

"Hilarious. Where did this 'trip' end up taking me anyway?" she asked as Apoc helped her to her feet.

Once standing she let go of Apoc's hands and tried to stand by herself but almost fell over again. Apoc grabbed hold of her before she hit the ground, holding her forearms to help her keep her balance.

"Well, Miss Switch." he began. "You find yourself on board the Nebuchadnezzar. The finest ship in what's left of the world." he stated proudly.

Switch raised her eyebrows at him confused and unimpressed.

"You know, maybe I should just leave the explaining up to Morpheus." he sighed, defeated.

Apoc let go of her arms now that she had managed to stabilize herself.

"Yes, an explanation please." she agreed, giving him a small smile.

"Don't worry, you'll find out everything soon. But if I can offer you one piece of advice it would be this: trust us. I know that a lot to ask for but it will make things a hell of a lot easier. And prepare yourself, what you're going to find out won't be easy to accept." he said, an unreadable expression on his face.

Switch didn't say anything, simply nodding. She wasn't sure if she trusted him, he had yet to give her any reason to trust or distrust him. As for preparing herself, she didn't know what to expect but would try to do as he said. She knew the truth came at a price. Some things were hard to learn and even harder to accept.

When she refused to say anything he toned towards the door, gesturing for her to follow him. He suddenly stopped, spinning round to face her.

"Oh I almost forgot. You might want this." he said, some enthusiasm returning to his voice. He rustled through his pocket and pulled out what looked like a rag and offered it to her.

Switch took the piece of cloth into her hands and realized that it was a hideous green and red beany.

"What on earths this for?" she asked.

"Thought you might be cold." Apoc replied, grinning at her and tapping the top of his head.

What? She reached up to feel the top of her head and was shocked when her hand made contact with skin where her hair should have been. Running her hands around her head she felt what she guessed to be a round metal plug at the back of her head. There were more of those things? God, she didn't want to even thing about where else they might be.

Apoc smiled, finding her shocked expression at realising her hair was gone rather funny. He beckoning again for her to follow him before turning on his heel and walking from the room.

Switch's mind was now burning with questions and there was only one way they were going to be answered. Pulling the beany tightly onto her head she raced out after Apoc.

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Switch sat on the metal framing of her bed that was bolted to the wall, looking around the room she had been assigned. It was cold and uncomfortable, like the rest of the ship but she was grateful for the privacy. She needed time alone to think. She had been out in the core a few moments ago and had met Morpheus. He had taken her into a training program. A man named Tank had plugged her into a machine through the plug in the back of her head which allowed her to enter a virtual world, like the Matrix. It had left her brain feeling a little sore, like it had been somehow broken and put back together again. Apoc had assured her she would get used to it. Morpheus had showed her the real world and explained to her how everything she thought she knew about the world was a complete lie. She couldn't believe that she had been living in a computer program; it was hard to get her head around it. She had felt in her previous life like she was almost living in the programs she hacked. She had lived alone and only had her computers for company but knowing that her previous life was not only based around computers but also lived _inside_ one was hard to take in.

She felt sick knowing she had spent her whole life, all twenty-one years of it, stuck inside an incubator living out things that had never even happened. All the pain she had gone through during her life, especially her childhood, had been for nothing. It wasn't real. That's what hurt most, not leaving the Matrix but knowing that all the experience she had were worthless; how much time she had wasted.

When she had been in the core she had tried to keep it together. The overwhelming amount of hatred she felt towards the machines had been so consuming that she had to get away from all of them. Tank had showed her to this room, explaining it was hers, before leaving her alone. She had just sat on her bed, anger surging through her, unable to do anything about it. But she couldn't handle it anymore, she was furious. She had been sitting placidly for too long, not in this world but in the Matrix. She had been used her entire life without even realizing it. She'd been helplessly at the mercy of the Matrix, dependent on it for everything. She had done nothing for herself, felt nothing for herself. She need to take out her anger, she want to prove to herself that she was free, that she could really feel and the Matrix wasn't just telling her she was feeling.

She jumped up and punched the metal wall as hard as she could, hearing at satisfying crack as her hand collided with the metal framework. She held her now throbbing hand, feeling a dribble of blood run onto the hand holding the damaged one. Looking down she saw her knuckles were bleeding and she could feel the shatters in the bones of her fingers. She felt the pain but it was numbed by the high she felt knowing that this pain and this blood was _real_. Not some illusion created by the Matrix. Blood was now starting to run down her arm and the momentary numbing started to fade and her hand was becoming excruciatingly painful. She realized now that her outburst of anger was rather stupid and she would now have to do something about her hand.

She crept to the door and managed to turn the leaver to open the door with her good hand, the other hand was now starting to drip blood everywhere; she needed to get this cleaned quickly. Someone had put her into a woolen jumper, she didn't know who or when but that didn't matter now. She pulled the hem of it up and placed her hand inside it, stopping blood from dripping onto the floor. She was annoyed with herself and her stupid way of venting out the anger. She had only been with these people for such a short time and was already making a mess of the clothes they had given her. As far as she knew they were the only humans outside the Matrix's so she needed to stay on their good side. She hadn't got out to a good start. She had done exactly what Apoc had suggested not do and had flat out refused to speak with them about what she had learnt. She had destroyed her jumper and would now have to ask for medical help for her hand. She couldn't stay in her room any longer. She would have to try and fix the mess she had created.

Checking the coast was clear she crept out into the corridor; tiptoeing in the direction she remembered the medical bay she had been in earlier being. She made her way along the corridor, keeping close to the wall. When she reached the corner of the corridor she peered around and looked out onto the main bridge where the machine she had been plugged into before was. Off to the side of the main bridge was another room where she could hear talking coming from. She picked out Apoc's voice straight away and some she had never heard before, there must be others on this ship. Scanning for anyone else she saw Tank still at the computer he was at before, watching the Matrix coding. There was a staircase directly across from her on the other side of the core that led down somewhere, she didn't have a clue where. Off to the right side of where she was standing there was another staircase that led up to some room above her; she didn't remember coming down any stairs. Near the room where the talking was coming was the only other door coming off of the main bridge. That must be the med bay. She would have to run across the bridge to get to it though. Tank was sitting in the dead center of the core. There was no way she could get there without him seeing her. But she didn't have any other options. She would just have to pray that by some miracle Tank either wouldn't hear her or wouldn't bother to find out what she was doing. Taking a deep breath she decided to attempt speed over stealth and high tailed it towards the door. She ran full out across the bridge and almost collided with the metal door. She heaved the door open and slammed it shut behind her. She let out a sigh of relief as she leaned back against the closed door.

She quickly got to work looking for something to clean her hand with. She crossed the room to look through the cupboards bolted to the back wall. Pulling them open she was met with a rather underwhelming amount of supplies. She didn't have a clue what most of it was used for, her medical knowledge was extremely lacking. She eventually managed to find a bottle of antiseptic and a cloth that would make a decent bandage. She carried them over to the side bench and soaked the cloth in antiseptic. Once it was wet she tied the cloth around her knuckles, feeling the sting of the antiseptic. It did nothing to stop the pain but at least it was no longer bleeding everywhere. Putting away the supplies she had used she checked the room was in perfect condition, she didn't want to cause any more trouble for anyone.

Taking a deep breath she walked back over to her door. She gripped the handle with her good hand, preparing to open the door and run back to her room. She tried to calm herself; she didn't need to get so worked up over this. She had managed it once so surely she could do it again. She hadn't exactly been the quietest on her way in here so perhaps Tank wasn't bothered what she was up to. She hoped that was the case. She pulled the door open as quietly as she could, peering round the door. Opening the door further she stepped out onto the main bridge. Looking ahead her eyes locked onto a pair of dark brown ones. She stopped dead her tracks when she saw Tank standing just outside the door staring directly at her.


	2. The Meeting

Switch stood rooted to the ground, unable to move. Tanks eyes remained looked on hers, a curious expression on his face. Switch frantically tried to think of something to explain what she was doing but came up blank. She didn't have clue what to say, what to do. She resisted the urge to rush back to her room. She would have to talk to someone eventually.

"Are you okay?" Tank asked taking a hesitative step towards her.

Switch nodded, plastering a smile on her face. It didn't seem to convince him.

"You've been through a lot Switch. Its okay to be confused or scared, I would be." he said reassuringly.

"Would be, weren't you?" Switch asked confused by his phrase.

"Nope. I was born the good old-fashioned way in Zion. The last human city left, I ain't never been inside the Matrix." he replied, sympathy subtly noticeable in his voice.

So there were others? A city? Switch felt out of her depth in this new world, vulnerable, a feeling she didn't like. She didn't know what to say to that so they just stood there in silence for a few moments. She knew she had a lot to learn. These people where the only way she was going to find out anything about this new world but she couldn't bring herself to talk to them. Not yet anyway.

"Well. I'm sure you have plenty of questions and everyone's eager to see you. If you're up to it." he said grinning at her.

She had known this was coming; she would have to meet everyone eventually. Switch nodded and walked towards Tank, mentally preparing herself to meet the rest of the crew. She didn't know what she should expect but she tried to focus on one thing at a time. If she tried to look at the bigger picture she started to panic. She had no idea where her life would be headed from here, what she would do, how she would live. There was far too much that she didn't know. Tank gave her a warm smile as she came to stand beside him. He gestured for her to follow him as he walked towards the room where the sound of talking was still coming from. Switch followed behind him, feeling a sense of nervousness and she drew nearer to the room. She remembered her hand still wrapped in the bandage. Shit. She didn't want to have to explain that to anyone. She felt the sides of her hips and located a deep pocket on the pair of oversized jeans she was wearing. Tucking her injured hand into the pocket she quickly caught up with Tank as he entered into the room.

Peering over his shoulder to get a better look into the room she saw the room was slightly larger than the med bay and filled with people. Tank stepped to the side so she could walk further into the room. In the center of the room there was a long metal table with two benches on either side. A group of people sat hunched over the table looking over some sort of plans. They all turned to look at her and Tank as they entered. Five sets of eyes stared at her as she stood nervously by the door. Tank weaved his arm around her shoulder, giving her a one armed hug.

"I've gotta get back to lookout but Switch was up so I though you could all introduce yourselves to her." he suggested, looking at the group gathered around the table.

Tank turned his head to look sideway at Switch. "I'll see you later." he assured her as he leaned in to whisper into her. "Don't worry, they don't bite." he added so only she could hear. He gave her a quick squeeze before letting her go. He waved to the others and gave her one last smile before trudging back off to the core, leaving Switch alone with the group.

She started after him for a minute, slightly stunned by his friendliness. She had never even spoken to him before but he had been so open with her, like he had known her for years not moments.

"Switch." Morpheus called, drawing her attention back to the table. "Come sit." he offered, gesturing to the space opposite him that the others had made for her. Taking a deep breath to calm he jittery nerves she crossed the room and sat down on the edge of one of the benches next to a girl who seemed to be about the same age as her. She remembered her from somewhere. The girl looked at her when she sat down, her angular face breaking into a warm smile that reached her eyes. Her short dark brown hair framed her face and her blue eyes looked at Switch curiously. Switch racked her brain, trying to work out how she knew the girl. It suddenly clicked. She was the girl who had been in the car when she was taken from her apartment. She couldn't remember her name though. She couldn't remember much of what had happened before she woke up in the med bay and trying to think about it hurt her head.

"How you holding up?" the girl asked putting her arm around Switch.

Switch normally did not like people touching her but right now she was grateful for the comfort. It made her feel slightly more human in this alien world. After finding out the harsh reality of her existence she had begun feeling a sense of pride for being human. It was strange really for her to be proud of being human after discovering that she had been used as a slave to these machines. But having gained her freedom she felt stronger than them. Like she had, in her own way, beaten them. It was ironic for her to feel so strong when she was physically weaker than she had ever been in all her life.

The girl was still looking at her; her big blue eyes watching her with concern. Switch realized that she hadn't answered the girl's question.

Switch smiled at her, looking down at the table. "I'm doing okay, thanks." she mumbled.

She appreciated the girls concern but couldn't meet her eye.

"You can talk to us you know." Apoc said ducking his head down, almost to the table, trying to make eye contact with her.

Switch sighed and looked up. She seriously needed to pull herself together. They were all trying to help her and she was just being difficult.

"Honestly, this has been a little overwhelming… there's so much I don't know or understand and my mind feels, feels, broken… and I don't even remember most of your names… and… and… I feel…so stupid, god how could I have been blind to all this? If you hadn't found me I'd be…be, still in…" she rambled before trailing off, feeling disgusted at the thought of still being in the power plant. She avoiding looking at any of them, she needed to compose herself or she was going to lose it.

"It's alright Switch." Morpheus said, trying to comfort her. "You're handling this incredibly well and we are all going to help you. We will tell you all you need to know. But first I want you to know that this crew is a team. We all work together, live together, and survive together. We all know from experience that the transition into this life is a difficult one and we will all try to support you the best we can." Morpheus assured her.

A small genuine smile formed on Switch's face. She knew what he said was true; they had all been through the same thing. She wasn't the only one. If they could handle it so could she. The girl squeezed the arm she still had around Switch's shoulder tighter, pulling her into a one armed hug.

"Thank you." she mumbled, looking up at them and smiling.

She knew she had to open up to them now but she felt less nervous about doing so. She had already lost everything, her strength, her dignity. What else was there to lose? Morpheus had assured her that they would support her so she would just have to trust him. Pulling herself together from her moment of weakness she sat up straighter. She wasn't going to let them perceive her as weak.

"Okay, introductions first?" she asked as calmly as she could, looking round at the mixture of strange and somewhat familiar faces.

"I'm Trinity." the girl beside her replied. "We met before, back in the Matrix." she added, smiling at Switch.

Trinity, of course, she remembered her from the car ride. She was the one holding a gun to her face. It was hard to image Trinity doing that; she looked too kind right now, her arm still around her and a smile on her face.

"I remember you." Switch said with a laugh. "Last time I saw you, you had a gun to my face…" she trailed off.

Trinity laughed awkwardly. "Yeah, sorry about that." she replied sheepishly.

Switch just giggled, giving her a quick smile before she leaned her head forward to look round Trinity to the man sitting on the other side of her.

"Hey there, I'm Dozer." he said with friendly grin. "Tank's big brother. It's mighty nice to me ya."

Switch could see the resemblance; both were tall, tan and muscular with boyish good looks. They also both seemed to have the same kind nature to them. She couldn't help but be reminded of a teddy bear when she looked at him. He was huge, taking up almost half the bench and looked like he was made of muscle but he somehow appeared gentle. She was beginning to like him already.

"The names Cypher." said a familiar looking man with a hideous mustache and a sly look to him. She looked across the table at him, giving him a very wary smile. She couldn't put her finger on it but there was something she just didn't like about him. She knew she shouldn't jump to conclusions, but for right now she would only trust him as far as she could throw him. When it came to men she had learnt over the years to trust your gut instinct, it was usually right.

Her eyes moved along to man seated beside Cypher, she knew him straight away.

"Apoc, you remember me right?" Apoc asked, looking hopefully at her.

Switch laughed. "How could I forget you." she sighed, mentally rolling her eyes at his eagerness.

He was the person she had seen the most of so far, besides Morpheus. She knew it was sudden but she was starting to like him, in a strange sort of way. He was loud and slightly annoying but there was something about him that drew her in. She wouldn't dare say that to him though, he was bigheaded enough.

Apoc broke out into a huge smile, obviously pleased with her response.

"So that's us." Morpheus said, drawing her attention back to him. "Now Switch. I promise you we will tell you everything, there are no secrets here. But right now I think you should have something to eat and get some rest. We can talk all you like tomorrow." he calmly explained.

Switch nodded, and then hesitated, she really ought to tell them about her hand. It was starting to really bother her and she could feel the shattered bones in her knuckles. They didn't seem as frightening as they did before, she had a feeling they would help her.

"Okay, but-" Switch began, gently pulling her hand from her pocket, wincing slightly as she moved it. Lifting her arm stiffly she cautiously placed her hand on the table. Looking down she was surprised to see her hand looked worse than she had expected. Blood had soaked through the cloth she had wrapped around it, making it look like a soppy maroon mess. The skin exposed around the bandage on her fingers and wrist was bruised and swollen. She couldn't feel her purple and blue bruise patterned fingers. It was more gruesome that she had expected.

"What happened?" Apoc asked; looking horrified as he reaching out for her hand. He pulled back just before he touched her, realizing that touching her hand would cause her a lot of pain. The look on his face made her feel slightly better, he looked truly concerned for her.

Switch laughed awkwardly, wishing she hadn't been so stupid. She felt as though she had been pardoned for storming off to her room but explaining this would just make her look incompetent all over again.

"I, well I, umm… kinda punched the wall in my room. I'm so sorry, I was just angry about the Matrix… at how I had been trapped in there… I wanted to feel, to really feel…" she tried to explain, looking way as her face burned of embarrassment.

Morpheus sighed. "What are we going to do with you?" he asked with a laugh.

"Come on." Trinity said, standing to her feet. "Lets go fix you up." she suggested, putting her hand under Switch's elbow as she helped her up.

Switch turned to smile at everyone still seated at the table. Apoc gave her a smile and shook his head sadly. She grinned back guiltily before letting Trinity lead her back to the medical bay.

They made their way back across the main bridge to the medical bay for the second time that day. Walking quietly into the room Trinity moved over to the metal table in the centre of the room that Switch had woken up on and patted it, gesturing for her to take a seat.

Switch crossed the room and jumped up onto the bench, sitting with her legs hanging off the side. She watched as Trinity went over to the cupboard and loaded various supplies into her arms. She sat patiently while Trinity brought the equipment she had picked over to her. Laying it all out on the bench beside where Switch was sitting Trinity tore open a box of what looked like tape.

Trinity moved to stand in front of Switch, taking her hand. She unwrapped the crude bandage Switch had made as carefully as she could.

Switch tried not to show any signs of pain as the bandage was removed.

"Sorry." Trinity mumbled, sensing Switch's agony.

"It's my fault." Switch muttered, taking a sharp intake of air. "I shouldn't have smashed my hand into a goddamn wall."

"It's definitely a new one." Trinity giggled.

"A new what?" Switch asked, unsure what Trinity was getting at.

"Everyone has a way of letting out whatever they feel in response to the truth." she explained.

Switch tilted her head at her and raised her eyebrows, unsure what she meant.

"What did you feel when you hit your hand?" Trinity asked, stopping what she was doing for a moment.

"Anger." Switch replied honestly.

"So you felt anger, and took that out on yourself. While instead I felt helplessness, and Cypher for example felt sick." she explained.

"What did you do?" Switch blurted out. "Sorry, you don't have to answer that." she quickly added, realizing that she had no right to ask that.

"It's okay." Trinity replied with a smile. "It was much less macho than yours. I just cried, well actually that's an understatement. I completely broke down. Spent the next hour in the mess hall sat on Morpheus lap crying. I _was_ twelve at the time though. I would probably handle it differently now." she explained, looking a little embarrassed.

"Well at least you didn't break anything." Switch encouraged, giving her a smile.

"Yeah." Trinity muttered, placing the blood soaked bandage into a dish of antiseptic.

Picking up the box of tape she pulled off a length and firmly tapped Switch's fingers together. Trying to cause her as little pain as possible.

Switch tried not to think about the pain, instead focusing on what Trinity had told her. She was surprised that she had been taken out so young. She had struggled learning the truth as an adult; she couldn't imagine what it would be like as a child.

"What's it been like?" Switch asked, trying to make conversation.

"What, this life?" Trinity asked, not sure what Switch meant.

Switch nodded, looking up at her, curious to what her answer would be.

"We'll it's not been easy, let me tell you that." Trinity began with a soft chuckle. "It's gotten easier though. It was just me and Morpheus at the beginning. He was like a father to me; if it weren't for him I don't know who I would be today. But I was lonely. Morpheus was always busy and the former crew members weren't very friendly." she explained.

"What happened to them?" Switch asked.

"There were four of them, all male. Two were Zion born and they transferred to another ship, Tank and Dozer replaced them. I think that was about seven years ago now. The other two died in the Matrix. We were on an extraction mission and were attacked by agents. They stood their ground and refused to run. They both died. I was the only one that made it out. I took one look at those agents and got the hell out of there. I thought they would do the same." she explained her hands falling limp on top of Switch's, too lost in the past to continue what she was doing.

Switch pulled Trinity into a hug with her good arm, much to Trinity's surprise. After the shock of being hugged wore off she hugged Switch back, being careful of her hand.

"I'm so sorry." Switch mumbled as she let Trinity go.

"It was hard losing them, mainly because I was so young. But Tank and Dozer helped me through it. God I'm so thankful for those two. This life would be almost unlivable without them." she replied, perking up slightly. "About a year after their deaths we pulled Cypher out. He was a real pain for the first few month." she continued, trying to forget about the painful memories that had been dragged up. "Then, I think it would have to be about four years ago now, Apoc joined us." she concluded, giving Switch a small smile.

"It must be hard to keep track of things here. I don't even know if its day or night right now." Switch replied with a small laugh.

"It is, there's no way of knowing time outside the Matrix; we use our shifts to work out day from night. We can work off the time in the Matrix and here… well it doesn't really matter. I've managed to keep a rough track of our ages but not much else." Trinity sighed.

"Huh, how old are you all anyway? Not that it really matters." Switch asked casually.

"Well, I'm twenty, I think. I'm close to that anyway. Apoc and Tank are around twenty-five. Dozer is pretty sure he has turned thirty and Cypher would be around thirty-five. Oh and Morpheus, I honestly have no idea, and neither does he. I would guess around forty though." Trinity explained.

Switch just nodded, acting like it didn't matter to her but she was glad to be able to get her head around some things. Age was only a little thing but it helped in understanding them all a bit better.

"Were almost the same age. I turned twenty-one just a few months ago" Switch replied.

"I thought we would be." Trinity said with a small nod as she finished taping Switch's fingers into place.

Switch tried to move her fingers but couldn't move any of them, apart from her thumb. She stopped trying to move them as it was starting to hurt. Trinity rummaged through the supply's she had brought over and found a piece of cloth that she began to wrap around Switch's hand.

"Okay, that should do for now." Trinity said as she tied off the bandage around Switch's wrist.

"Thank you." Switch replied, moving her newly bandaged hand around, trying to determine how much movement she would have.

"Your lucky it's only fractured. I should still take a few weeks to heal up fully though." Trinity added as she began putting away the supplies she had used.

"And Switch..." Trinity began, as she came back over to her.

Switch looked up to see what she had to say but Trinity wouldn't meet her eye. She titled her head to look at Trinity who made no attempt to continue whatever it was she was going to say.

"Yeah?" Switch pried, trying to coax it out of her.

"Nothing. I'm just glad you're here." Trinity replied giving Switch a small smile.

Switch smiled back. "I'm glad to be here too, with all of you… you've been kinder than I was expecting." she admitted.

Trinity laughed. "Of course, were practically family." she replied, giving her a smile. "You're stuck with us. There is no escape." she teased, nudging Switch.

"Oh_ no_. I was hoping you would drop me off to go live with those sentinels." Switch joked, grinning cheekily at her.

Both girls started laughing, it wasn't even overly funny but after the stress of the day Switch just needed some lighthearted fun.

"Oh gosh, Switch." Trinity chuckled, leaning over the bench beside Switch. "I can't tell you how happy I am that there is _finally_ another girl here." she exclaimed, grabbing hold of Switch's good hand.

Switch smiled at Trinity. She had never had any close friends before so this was new to her but she was definitely glad that Trinity was here, she wouldn't like to be facing this alone. And there was some company that only another girl could provide.

"Come on, let's go get something to eat before you have some well deserved rest." Trinity offered, helping Switch down from the bench.

"Okay." Switch replied, as she stepped onto the floor. "And thank you." she added, gesturing towards her hand.

Trinity just smiled at her and dragged her towards the door, leading her back across the main bridge and into the mess hall. They walked into the now empty room and Trinity escorted Switch over to the table, making her sit. Trinity then walked over to the bench bolted to the back wall and took two bowls out of the sink cabinet, filling them with some sort of food. Switch sat at the empty table, waiting for Trinity to join her. Trinity walked back over took a seat opposite Switch, placing a bowl of rather unappetizing goop in front of her. Switch raised her eyes to look at Trinity, who was digging into the soup of sorts.

Tentatively picking up her spoon she gulped down a mouthful of the foul stuff. She was surprised, it wasn't as bad as she had assumed. It wasn't pleasant but it wasn't as repulsive as she thought it was going to be. Trinity started laughing, making Switch defensively glare at her.

"Sorry." Trinity giggled. "It's just your face, your reaction was priceless."

Switch forced a smile, she couldn't really see the humor in it but at least it was a distraction from the food.

They ate in silence for a few moments, Switch tried to think of something to talk about, what did normal girls talk about? This wasn't one of her strong points. She had better try something though. She wanted Trinity to like her so she would have to make an effort.

"You hair is very pretty." Switch began awkwardly. "Hopeful mine will grow back soon." she added.

"Thanks." Trinity replied, smiling at Switch. "I'm sure it will and until then it doesn't matter. You may have noticed but nobody has any reason to care what they look like here." she said, gesturing to her tattered jumper.

Switch nodded. Looks had never been high on her priorities, now even less. She had been dressed similar to Trinity in a worn old jumper, jeans that were a few sizes to big for her and a pair of ill-fitting combat boots. The only noticeable difference was Trinity had short brown hair while Switch had an ugly beany instead. She was still getting used to not having any hair but at least it would grow back. The plugs however where a different matter, she didn't think she would ever get used to those.

"That's a good thing though." Switch stated, looking up from her dinner.

Switch had never been particularly attractive and definitely wasn't going to miss the constant nagging of the importance of appearance. She was almost pleased to not have any of those annoying beauty-obsessed girls around anymore. Trinity was stunningly beautiful, even dressed in rags, and Switch could never compete with her but she didn't feel like she had too. Trinity was kind and humble and probably hadn't had a good look at herself in a long time. She wasn't a shallow, vain, product of the Matrix. Switch could see them becoming good friends.

"Well." Trinity sighed as she finished the last of her bowl. "I hope you enjoyed that, it's about all there is to eat here."

Trinity stood to her feet and picked up her bowl from the table, walking over to the sink.

"Oh it was delicious." Switch teased, getting up also. She wandered over to the sink, placing her bowl in with Trinity's. Looking at it the sink it she noticed that it wasn't even a bowl; it was more like a flat metal can. Trinity gave her a smile as she ushered for her to follow her. Both girls left the mess hall and headed back towards their rooms, exhausted and ready to crash. It had been a long and emotionally draining day for both of them.

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Switch woke up with a painful crick in her neck. She had been sleeping in an awkward position, trying to accommodate for her hand. Stretching out she winced at the movement of her hand; it was still extremely painful. Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes, trying to wake herself up. There was no indication of what time it was so she had better get up now. She didn't want anyone to think she was lazy. Hauling herself out the bed she looked for the clothes she had been wearing yesterday. She had found a supply of clothes in her room, including a pair of rough cotton shorts she assumed where pajamas that she had worn with the undershirt she was wearing yesterday. Finding the dark grey, torn, old jumper she had been wearing yesterday she pulled it back on. She swapped the shorts for the baggy navy jeans and stepped into her boots, clipping them up. Once she was dressed she headed out of her room and made her way to the mess hall, hoping to find the others there. Walking in she saw all the others except for Morpheus at the table; he must be on lookout. They had explained to her that someone always had to been on lookout at all times, to watch for dangers in the Matrix and in the real world.

"Hey Switch!" Apoc grinned, looking up when she entered.

Switch smiled back, giving him a small wave.

"Grab a bowl and take a seat." Dozer offered turning round to look at her.

She walked over to the counter she had seen Trinity get her food from last night. Opening the cabinet draw she took out a bowl and spoon. On the bench top there was a metal rimmed glass pipe filled with the food she had been given by Trinity. There was a small leaver on the tube, pulling it down her bowl was filled with food. Taking her bowl back over to the table she saw Apoc had shuffled closer to Tank, making room for her to sit next to him. She sat down and began eating as quickly as possible. It wasn't an activity she particularly wanted to dwell on.

Everyone sat in silence while they ate; there was sleepiness in the way they were eating. Switch noticed that everyone looked a little tired, as though they hadn't had a very good night sleep.

"So." Apoc ventured, breaking the silence. "What's on the schedule for today?" he asked.

"The back boilers blown, so Tank and me are gonna get that fixed up this morning." Dozer replied, looking rather unenthusiastic at the idea.

"We ought get to that actually." Tank sighed, getting up. He gave Dozer a sympathetic look as he walked over to the sink, dumping his bowl. Dozer hauled himself to his feet and followed after his brother. They wandered over to the door, turning to casually salute to them before they headed off to the engine room. Tanks voice could be heard from out on the main bridge saying some sort of joke to Dozer, causing him to break out laughing.

Switch smiled to herself at the sound.

"What about you Trinity?" Apoc asked curiously, drawing everyone's attention to her.

"I'm going to speak with Morpheus this morning and I'm on lookout next." Trinity replied getting up herself. She stretched out her aching bones before she headed out onto the bridge.

Apoc waved a goodbye in her direction before turning to look at Cypher. By now Switch was starting to think Apoc was trying to shoo them all away, making them get up and do something.

"I'm going back to bed." Cypher grumbled. "I had a double shift last night."

"Oh man, that's always harsh." Apoc sympathized. "Catch you later, when you're more awake." he joked, giving Cypher a kind smile.

"See ya." Cypher replied, giving Apoc a quick nod before exiting the room.

"So…" Apoc said casually, turning to look at Switch. "What about you?" he asked smiling warmly at her.

She opened her mouth to reply but nothing came out, it was an easy question but for some reason the way he was looking at her made it hard to think. She quickly tried to snap out of it and reply like a normal, articulate human being.

"Morpheus said I would be starting my training today and that it would run for a few days. Depending on how fast I learn." Switch replied slightly flustered.

"Oh, training." he sighed, shaking his head softly. "I remember that. Don't worry, it feels a little weird the first time but you get used to it." he reassured her.

"I'm actually kinda looking forward to it. Physical training directly to your brain? That's incredible." Switch said, a tone of excitement creeping into her voice.

"It is, just wait. I have a feeling that you won't be able to get enough of it." he said with a wink. "Well, no time like the present. Shall we?" he asked, jumping to his feet and offering his hand to her.

"Let's go." Switch replied, grinning as she allowed him to help her up.

Switch and Apoc walked out onto the main bridge. They made their way over to Morpheus, Trinity and Tank who were all fixated on one of the monitors, talking quietly to each other. They all spun around as Apoc and Switch walked towards them. She knew she had no right to know but she couldn't help but wonder what they were doing, they seemed very interested in whatever was on that computer a second ago.

"Hey guys." Apoc greeted, nodding to them. "Ready to give Switch her first round of training?" he asked.

"We sure are." Trinity replied, walking over to the machine Switch had used to jack into yesterday. Standing beside one of the seats of the machine she beckoned Switch over.

Switch hesitatively made her way over to Trinity, her knees knocking into the metal seat. Trinity put a hand onto her shoulder and gently pulled her into the seat. Switch took a deep breath, trying to relax.

"Okay, were going to start you off with the basics." Tank called out. "Try to relax." he added, looking up from the monitor to smile at her before he uploaded the first program.

Trinity gave Switch's hand a quick squeeze before she walked round behind her. She leaned back, lining her headjack up with the data probe, feeling the now familiar stab of pain as she was plugged into the machine.

She closed her eyes and her mind seemed to stretch as information followed into her brain. She could feel it following through her body, strengthening and training her. It happened so fast and then it was over, she opened her eyes again and reality came crashing back to her. She was back sitting in the cold metal seat of the machine. She gasped as she sat up, feeling her head spin.

"I know Kung-Fu." she cried, laughing at how bizarre it sounded. "The Matrix coding. I understand it." she gasped, pointing frantically at the monitor Tank was still sat at.

She shook her head completely awed by the experience, it was indescribable.

"Switch, you did amazing, you were plugged in for _six_ hours straight!" Apoc exclaimed coming over to help her up.

Six hours? It had passed so quickly.

Apoc held his hand out to her, which she took gladly, standing slowly to her feet. Her head spun and she felt slightly sick. She took a deep breath, not letting go of Apoc's hand. She didn't want to fall over again. She looked around the room, Trinity and Morpheus had left but Tank was still at the computer smiling at her. She grinned back at him.

"Nice job Switch." Tank called now that he had caught her attention.

"Thank you, Tank. I think you did more work than me though." she replied.

The only door on the top-level deck that wrapped around the main bridge was pushed open and Morpheus appeared. Apoc waved to him as he made his way down the metal rung ladder. Once on the ground Morpheus made his way over to them. He stopped when he reached them, giving Switch a rare smile.

"Switch, you've done exceptionally well. Tank covered all the basics with you today. I think tomorrow you will be ready to begin your combat training. By the end of tomorrow you should have all the basic skills you need. Anything else can be picked up later." Morpheus stated, looking pleased.

"Thank you." Switch replied, smiling at him. "Then I can actually be of some use, with shifts and whatever else you need me to do."

"You will make an excellent addition to our team, we're lucky to have you." Morpheus replied kindly.

Switch smiled and went slightly red; she wasn't used to compliments.

"Well, I'm sure after all that training you must be hungry. Go eat up and get some rest, you have another day of training tomorrow." Morpheus suggested, giving them all a tight smile before swiftly walking off.

Switch looked to Apoc, curious as to what she should do. She wasn't particularly keen on Morpheus suggestion of eating and going to bed.

"To the food!" Apoc joked, linking arms with Switch, giving her an exaggerated grin and heading off towards the dinning room.

Switch sighed as he dragged her along. But the idea of forcing herself to eat that repulsive slop again was much more bearable when arm and arm with Apoc.


	3. The Need for Affection

Author's Note: Hey my lovely Readers! So here's the next chapter, the previous chapters have been just going through the motions of Switch joining the team and leaving the Matrix. Now is when the story really begins! Please tell me what you think of this story; I would love to get some reviews!

Also I would recommend the song 'To the moon and back' by Savage Garden when reading this chapter, its really sets the mood. Lot of love! :) xx

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Switch was pacing back and forth in her room. She had just finished her second day of training and now knew all the basics, as Morpheus had put it. But she still felt a little out of her depth. There was a difference between being told something and understanding it. Right now she was supposed to be resting but she just wasn't tired. She felt useless. She didn't have shifts or jobs like the others, she was just a liability and a burden on their team. All she had done since she got here was cause problems for the rest of the crew. She needed to do something to prove she had been worth getting out. She knew they were just being kind, giving her time to settle in but that wasn't how Switch worked. She wouldn't feel she belonged until she earned her place. She had never had this kind of friendship offered without attachments; this was new to her. Apoc especially so. Switch had never had anyone pay her any attention before, so why should it be any different here? She had a nagging thought at the back of her mind that he was only interested in her because there was no one else. Because she was all he could get. She was the only female here besides Trinity and no one was getting anywhere with her. She didn't seem like the kind of person to allow anything like that. Maybe he was just messing with her. She tried not to think about it, Apoc wasn't like that, was he? Or maybe he was just friendly with everyone and she was no different. She was probably looking into this far more than she should be.

Ugh. She needed to get out of this room, she was slowly going insane. Apoc was consuming her thoughts, making her throw any rational thinking out the window.

Wandering over to her bed she pulled the frayed blanket off it and wrapped it around herself. She decided to go out and see who was on shift now. She couldn't be bothered changing back into her clothes but the blanket gave her more modestly than going out in only her pajamas. She crept to the door and opened it as quietly as possible, not wanting to wake up the others. Stepping out into the hall she made her way along the corridor back towards the main bridge. Looking around the corner she looked for who was on duty, her face lit up when she saw it Apoc. Her heart beat slightly faster, should she go talk to him? Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.

Apoc spun round in his chair; he had obviously heard her leaving her room. She might as well go out there now, he knew someone was there. If she didn't he would probably ask about it tomorrow. She moved out from the shadow of the corridor and onto the main bridge, walking towards Apoc.

When he saw Switch walking towards him he broke out into a grin, he couldn't believe she was actually coming to talk to him.

"Hey." Apoc whispered as Switch reached him.

Switch came to stand just beside the old chair Apoc was sat at in front of the monitors.

"What are you doing up?" he asked, giving her a curious look.

"Couldn't sleep." she mumbled sitting on the arm of his chair and peering over his shoulder over to watch the coding.

Switch didn't know what had possessed her to do that but she put it down to her legs hurting. Everything still hurt from when she had been ejected from the Matrix. Her body was thinner now and her muscles were much weaker than they had been because she had never actually used them before.

"I think we all get nights like that sometimes." he assured her, hesitatively putting his arm around her.

He wasn't sure if she would like him doing that but she had approached him so he figured he might as will try his luck.

Feeling Apoc's arm weave around her waist she felt a surge of confidence and slid down the armrest so she was tucked up next to him, he didn't seem to mind. She couldn't believe what she was doing; she was sitting, practically in his lap, with her legs tucked up under her and her head resting on his shoulder. This was surreal, this kind of thing didn't happen to people like her. They sat in silence for a while and Switch began to feel a wave of tiredness seeping over her. There was a comfortable silence between, she didn't feel the need to say anything; just being with him was comforting in itself. She was so comfortable with her side pressed up against Apoc and her head resting on his chest. He gently rubbed her back as he sat watch over her and kept an eye on the Matrix coding. She barely even knew Apoc but she felt calmer and safer in him arms that she had ever felt in or out of the Matrix. Her eyes slowly drooped shut, feeling exhausted after the day of training. She could hear his heart beating, its steady rhythm lulling her off to sleep.

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Switch struggled to open her eyes as she felt her body being moved. Her muscles ached with the gently forced movements. She felt her body being placed down onto something soft and cold. Forcing her eyes open she saw she was lying on her bed back in her room. The movement of Apoc quietly leaving her room caught her eye. She didn't want him to go. She had liked having him so close to her, she knew he had to leave but she could at least try and delay the inevitable.

"Apoc." she croaked, hearing her coarse voice she cleared her throat as he turned around to face her. Her voice had come out far more desperate that she had intended it to.

"Yeah?" he asked turning round when he heard her, a surprised look on his face.

She shuffled in her bed and propped herself up on her elbows to look at him. Plucking up enough courage he walked across the room and sat down on the edge of her bed.

Switch slowly sat up, pulling her knees to her chest. Apoc looked at her expectantly. She took a deep breath. She had wanted to talk to Apoc all day but hadn't found the nerve to do so. She was curious about everything and wanted to know more about him. But she hadn't had the courage to ask, worried what he would think. She wasn't fully awake making her less guarded than usual, so she just went for it, asking the first question she thought of.

"I don't mean to pry and you don't have to answer." she started. "But what was your life like before this?" she asked with wide-eyed curiosity.

He chuckled, smiling softly at her while he thought it over.

"How about if I tell you my story, you tell me yours. Deal?" he asked after thinking about it.

Switch paused for a minute before nodding, she wasn't sure if she really wanted to go through the mess of a life she had lived. But she was too interested in finding out his story to disagree.

"Okay." he started. "Well, I was born in Manhattan. I lived a very normal family life as a child. I had my mama and my old man. I was the second oldest of my five brothers. Life was good." he simplified, briefly explaining the normality of his life.

Switch smiled trying to imagine a little Apoc with his family and their lovely lie of reality. It was sad to think of it that way but she didn't want to get attached to any memories from that world.

"When I was around fifteen I came across the Matrix and this guy called Morpheus. I had always been keen on computers but that's when I really started looking into the Matrix." he continued.

That reminded Switch of herself, computers had been her form of escape as a teenager. She could have done with knowing someone like Apoc then, but she was even more grateful to have him in her life now. She knew it was irrational but it felt like it had to be fate that she had met him now, when she needed him most.

"When I was eighteen my parents were killed in a car crash. It was heart breaking for my brothers and me. Life had been going along just like normal, we were what you would call your 'typical American family' and then suddenly they were gone. Our house got sold and the will was split up between all of us. My brothers and me were going to be sent to live with my grandparents in Los Angeles. But with the money we each got my older brother wanted to stay in Manhattan, because of work. I decide to stay with him and we bought a small apartment in decent part of town. But my younger brothers went to L.A. I never actually got to see them again. I spent the next year trying to crack the Matrix. I sat night after night searching, trying to understand. I had been too consumed with my own desperate search to understand the Matrix that I hadn't noticed the change taking place in my brother. I thought it was the work keeping my brother in the city but it wasn't, it was the drugs. I didn't find out till later that he had been involved in gang dealings since he was fourteen. I didn't have clue. Looking back now all the signs where there I had just been too blind to notice them. It all came crashing down on me one night when gang broke into our apartment. It was a drug dealer after my brother." he paused, taking a deep breath.

"I was in the kitchen at the time. By this time I had started to suspect something was up, god if I had known sooner…." he trailed of, shaking his head softly.

"I watched them shoot him straight through the head, blew his brains out. They didn't know I was there. I made a run for it, jumping out the kitchen window and down the fire escape. I just kept running and running, trying to get as far way as I could. I thought that somehow I could run from what had happened. I didn't have a clue where I was going, and honestly I didn't care." he continued, a sad chuckle escaping his lips.

"Morpheus had sent Cypher and Trinity into the Matrix to get me. They had been planning to talk to me but after what happened they decided to meet me instead. I thought I was being chased. Cypher almost ran me over. But after plenty of convincing I eventually agreed to meet Morpheus and the story's pretty obvious from there." he finished, his eyes had glazed over; he wasn't looking at the grey metal wall anymore but was lost in another place and time.

"I'm so sorry." Switch breathed, reaching out to take his hand.

His eyes looked pained as he recalled his past life. She started to think that maybe bringing this up wasn't the best idea. He had obviously trusted her enough to tell her his story though and that thought slightly made up for the fact that she had unintentionally caused him emotional pain.

He tried to smile at her. "It was for the best really. It led me to the truth and severed any links to that world for good." he replied, trying to convince himself more than her.

"So..." he sighed. "That's my story. What's yours? I hope it was better than mine." he laughed bleakly.

He had no idea.

Her life had been chaotic; she had gone through things that she couldn't even talk about. She couldn't go into detail, not even with Apoc. There were some things that were best left unsaid. Switch didn't know where to start but the beginning was as good a place as any.

"I don't actually know where I was born but I grew up in Brooklyn. I lived with my mother. I never knew who my father was. I don't remember much of my mother; she died when I was around five. I think she was a normal, kind, single mother. All the memories I have of her are nice ones. I've always wondered what my life would have been like if she hadn't passed away. I don't think I would be _here_ if she hadn't. Once she died I was sent away to live with my uncle, the only family I had left. I hated him from the moment I saw him, even as I child I knew there was something wrong. I still remember the first day I met him. He had reeked of whisky, not that I knew what that was at the time. More importantly what I didn't know was that he would abuse me for the next four years of my life." she paused, trying to keep her temper.

"That's what angered me about leaving the Matrix. I went through torture as a child, lived with the trauma for _years_, and it never even happened." Switch explained. She tried to keep her voice calm; she didn't want to rant at Apoc. She took a deep breath, trying to compose herself before she continued. There was no way she was going to let herself break down in front of him.

Apoc looked slightly disgusted, looking at her with pity. She didn't like that; she didn't want his pity. But she couldn't blame him. Her story wasn't a pleasant one. She had never had anyone wiling to listen to her story before and it felt like a weight lifting off her shoulders. She didn't have to hide anymore. She was no longer a part of that world. But she knew what she had to tell him now would make him hate her. She had done things she couldn't undo.

"I ran away from that life when I was nine, taking to the streets like a fish to water. I was smart; I knew how to keep myself alive, stealing what I had too, sleeping where I could and staying on the run." Switch quickly continued, trying not to dwell on any part of her past. She had gotten herself into a lot of trouble that year. She had seen and done things no child should ever be exposed to.

"When I was around ten I remember breaking into an old woman's apartment, low even for me, but I hadn't eaten a decent meal in over a week. I was planning on just stealing some food and a bit of jewelry. But she caught me. I tried to make a run for it but she stopped me. I could have fought my way out but I didn't want to hurt her. I wasn't that kind of person. I only hurt people in self-defense not in violence. I thought I was done for, thinking she'd call the police. But instead she made me eat with her. I learnt that she was an elderly Christian lady and that she didn't have any family. And I told her about myself. She pitied me, something I was grateful for at the time. When she found out I didn't have a home she let me stay with her. It was only meant to be a temporary stay. Just a few nights, a shower and some food. That was all I expected. But she had other plans that I was oblivious to. She was rather old, in her sixties and her health wasn't very good. I took care of her and she let me live with her. I didn't realize it at the time but she had loved me. I didn't see it because nobody had ever loved or cared for me before. I had grown up to believe I was unwanted and unlovable." she continued choking slightly on her words. She was flooded with the memories of the best years of her life, years where she had actually been taken care of. She needed to move on, to forget, but she couldn't. That woman had a lasting impact on her. She knew that without being shown that kindness she would have ended up far worse than she did. She was the one person who had restored her faith in humanity. Throughout her life when she was only presented with cruelty and violence the memory of her kindness was a small glimmer of hope.

"She became very ill when I was around twelve. She was diagnosed with lung cancer. The doctors said it was terminal. She refused to stay in hospital; she wanted to die at home. We couldn't afford the medical bills anyway. It crushed me seeing her fade away from me. She was too kind, too gentle, in a world far too cruel. She died just after I turned fourteen. I was lost once she was gone. She didn't have any family so she left all that she had too me. It wasn't much but I was better off than I had ever been. I spent the next year missing her, she was the only person who I had ever loved, the only person who had ever showed me any compassion and now she was gone. I looked for that kindness again in all the wrong places, finding only selfishness and cruelty." she paused reeling in how stupid she had been. She had hit an all time low at the age of fifteen, left alone in a world she couldn't understand. She was lucky she wasn't dead. She had gotten herself into too many stupidly dangerous situations.

"When I was sixteen I started drawing away from others, losing myself in computers. I didn't want anything to do with anyone, I felt disconnected, like there was a piece of me missing inside. I put that down to grief but now I know it was something more. I learnt how to hack; it was like a drug to me. The high of decoding illegal data, downloading software, breaking into government databases, doing things I shouldn't have been able to do. I became good at it, too good. I started taking on the odd job, hacking into a security system or downloading some illegal data. I managed to make enough money to take care of myself. I started getting better though, taking on more serious jobs. Word quickly spread and I became infamous in underground circles. I lived in a dangerous part of town and had brutes coming after me every other night but at least most of them were only after my brain." she stopped, looking up to see Apoc's reaction.

He was sat, watching her, taking in every word she said. She couldn't read his expression but she had said this much that she may as well continue.

"When I turned eighteen I moved to New York and started a new life. I couldn't stay where I was any longer. Too many criminals knew where I lived. I knew my past would still follow me and this was a profession I couldn't get out of. But moving towns felt like a fresh start for me. I bought a run down apartment where no one would come looking for me. I had to be careful, planning places to meet clients. I had made a few mistakes back in Brooklyn, like not being armed. Now I couldn't sleep without a gun under my pillow. I was a petty criminal in the service of real offenders. I had no rights in a black market business and worked under threats and unjust deals. I picked up a few tricks of the trade but I could never sleep soundly knowing my name was on too many hit lists to count. I was starting to get sick of life, feeling on edge constantly, I felt trapped. I had no idea just how _much_ that feeling was true though. I ran across the Matrix one night and was intrigued. At first it was just another challenge, something for me to hack. But as I looked into it further it eventually became my life, it consumed all my time, and it was constantly on my mind. I spent night after night trying to understand _what _it was. Every time I got close the lead I had been following would just disappear, it was infuriating. But one night I _finally_ found out what it was and it changed my life forever." Switch explained, feeling slightly exhausted by the time she had finished going through it all. Her heart sank when she saw Apoc's vacant expression.

Apoc remained very quiet, at a complete loss for what to say. She knew she was losing him, he was pulling away from her, not liking what he had heard. She had finally let someone in and now they were going to shut her out. She couldn't meet his eye, she barely even knew him but his withdrawal hurt her.

"So now you know." she muttered, into her knees.

He didn't even look at her, still starring off into space.

"Please don't hate me. I'm not proud of who I was but, but… I've changed." she sighed, hiding her face in her knees. Her voice came out far more desperate that she had intended it to. But what did it matter if she had already lost him.

"What?" Apoc asked shocked, pulling out of his thoughts. "Why would I hate you? I could never hate _you_. The only people I hate are those bastards who treated you like that." he fumed, moving closer to her.

She looked up at him, her blue eyes locking onto his deep brown ones, filled with concern. She tried not to get her hopes up too much.

"You _should_ hate me. I was a horrible person. I was treated the same way I treated the people I dealt with." Switch protested, testing him. If he wasn't going to leave now she wanted to be sure he never would.

"Don't blame yourself, you did what you had to. We all did. None of us had perfect lives or were decent living people. If we were we wouldn't be here." Apoc assured her, placing his hand on her knee.

He wasn't mad. She felt herself relax; he didn't blame her. This wasn't what she had expected. She was preparing herself for the worst. She had just wanted the truth out and assumed he would want nothing to do with her once he heard it. But he did. Her heart swelled, feeling the sadness fade away to be replaced with an unfamiliar feeling of acceptance.

Switch smiled and shuffled over so she was sat next to him. He was sat leaning against the wall, his legs hanging off the side of the bed. She rested her head against his shoulder and hugged onto his arm. She curled up against him, feeling his body heat warming her; it was so goddamn cold on this ship. What he had said touched her. Apoc really was different. She had shared with him her darkest secrets and she didn't feel weak or exposed, she felt accepted and even loved. She closed her eyes, having nothing more to say, simply enjoying being close to him. Her thoughts slowly drifted away until she was only left with a contented feeling that Apoc knew who she was and who she had been. She released her hold on consciousness and fell into a comfortable sleep. She hadn't realized until she now how starved she had been of human affection. Her body was in a state of peace it had never been in before, knowing that someone was with her, that someone would protect her.

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Switch was resting in a peaceful state somewhere between sleep and consciousness. She was particularly comfortable and felt much warmer than she had the previous night. A small smile formed on her lips as she remembered last night. Somehow she must have moved back to lying down, she couldn't remember how. Trying to clear her mind she pulled out her dreamy state, blinking her eyes open. She felt something warm around her. It her a second to work out it was Apoc. Her back was pressed up against his chest and his arms were wrapped around her, holding her close to him. Her heartbeat spiked, he was _in_ her bed. He must have also fallen asleep once they'd finished talking. She didn't know if he'd simply fallen asleep or chosen to stay with her; she hoped it was the latter. She really didn't want to move, she was far too comfortable. His body keeping her warm, his heavy breathing tickling her neck, and his strong arm around her waist making her stomach flutter slightly. Who knew when she would ever get to have him this close to her again. She didn't want this moment to end. But she definitely didn't want anyone to find them like this. They hadn't done anything, not even close, but that wouldn't stop the knowing looks or leading questions they would get if anyone found out about this.

Switch rolled over so she was now facing Apoc, her movement stirred him awake. His brown eyes opened sleepily to stare into her blue ones. She couldn't stop a grin from forming on her face; this was so surreal to her. He smiled back coyly at her. She couldn't breathe, realizing how intimate their positioning was. Untangling herself form his arms she sat up awkwardly. Trying to change her sudden train of thought of intimacy she contemplated the idea of having to get up.

Apoc sighed as she moved away. She turned back to face him, a small smile forming on her lips. She hoped that sigh meant that he resented her having to pull away from him.

"Well, I guess after that perfect moment we will have to prepare ourselves for the joys that await us at breakfast." he muttered, giving her an almost grim smile.

She groaned, flopping back down onto the bed next to him. She knew they had to get up but they could afford to spend a little bit longer together.

"We had better. We can't be late… if anyone found us together, can you imagine what they would say, what they would _think_!" she exclaimed.

She could just picture the looks they would give her. That wasn't the impression she wanted to give them. She knew she hadn't done anything to be ashamed of but she didn't want anyone to get suspicious. Apoc just laughed, finding her exasperated expression funny.

"I'm pretty sure Trinity already knows." he replied, still chuckling to himself.

"What?" Switch asked horrified. Oh god, how could she know, had she been in here while she was asleep? This couldn't be happening.

"I should have been on lookout about three hours ago, after Trinity. She would have gone to my room and found me missing. She must have worked out where I was and taken my shift. I really need to thank her for that." he explained at complete ease.

Switch on the other hand was having a heart attack.

"Oh god, how can I go out there now? She's gonna think we, you know…" she gestured towards herself and then Apoc. "And she'll think I'm just a - "

"Shh, calm down. No one is going to think badly of you, or me. We didn't even _do_ anything. Besides even if we did, that's no reason for anyone to treat you badly." he cut in, calming her down. "Now lets go get some breakfast." he added, his voice kind but firm.

Switch nodded and pulled herself out of bed, not really watching what she was doing. She took a deep breath, pulling herself together. She reached for her clothes that were draped over the metal piping on the wall. She pulled back on her jumper over the over shirt she was still wearing and reached out for her jeans. She would normally change out of her shorts but she couldn't do that with Apoc watching her so just pulled her jeans on over the top of them, the jeans were so baggy it didn't matter anyway. Once she was dressed she grabbed out a pair of socks from her cabinet and pulled them onto her feet. She shoved her feet into her boots and clipped them up before turning back around to face Apoc. She was startled when she saw him; he was sitting on her bed watching her. He quickly pulled his eyes away from her body, pretending to be suddenly interested in straightening the blanket on her bed. If she weren't so worried she would have found it funny but her mind was racing as she tried to think up the best way to explain to Trinity what had really happened. She just prayed Trinity had kept it to herself for now. She didn't want everyone to know about this.

Apoc stood to his feet and walked towards her, a small smile on his face.

"Ready?" he asked, giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

She nodded, calming down a little at his touch. Apoc wandered over to the door, holding it open for her. She quickly dashed through the open door into the corridor, checking it was clear. Seeing no one insight she signaled for him to follow her. Smiling as he joined her they made their way towards the mess hall, walking as casually as they could.

As they walked into the crowed mess hall Tank looked up over Cypher's head and smiled at them.

"Hey!" Tank called as they entered further into the room.

Apoc waved to him and Switch smiled in response. Apoc turned to Switch, gesturing for her to take a seat. She gave him smile as she took a seat, what a gentleman. Taking a seat on the bench next to Dozer she waited for Apoc to get their breakfast.

"Here you go." Apoc said as he came back over, putting a bowl of slop in front of her.

"Thanks." she replied, giving him a small smile.

He sat down in between her and Dozer and began eating. Switch sat quietly, making herself eat the unappetizing food in front of her. Apoc had struck up a conversation with Dozer about installing a new tracing system. Switch pushed her food around with her spoon, not overly hungry. She could feel more than see Trinity's eyes on her. She really needed to talk to her; she just needed to work out how to get her alone. She tried to think of something but was coming up blank. She just hoped she could repair any damage this may have caused between the very fragile friendship they had formed.

"Switch." Trinity began.

Switch looked up, startled. Her breath caught and her eyes bulged slightly. Trinity wasn't going to ask her about last night _now, _was she?

"Let's go to the med bay. I want to check how your hands healing." Trinity suggested, giving her a comforting smile.

Switch sighed in relief. She now understood what Trinity was doing, she shouldn't have doubted her. Trinity was more tactful than that.

Switch nodded, returning her smile.

Trinity stood to her feet, waiting for Switch to do the same. Getting up Switch quickly followed her out of the room, not looking back at anyone still seated at the table. Walking out onto the main bridge Switch kept her eyes down, unable to look at Trinity. When they reached the med bay Trinity held the door open for her, ushering her inside.

Switch dashed through the door and turned to look at Trinity, worried what she was going to say. Trinity closed the door and spun round to look at her, an excited grin on her face.

"Okay, you have spill!" she squealed, clasping her hands together, literally beaming. Before moving her hands to her hips, putting on a mock stern face.

Switch was taken aback; she hadn't expected this reaction.

"Spill what?" she mumbled, turning bright red.

"Oh _please_, you think I would buy that? I_ know_ Apoc was in your room last night so don't play coy with me." Trinity giggled, giving Switch a knowing look.

"Okay, okay." Switch admitted, laughing awkwardly. "Yes, Apoc was in my room last night. But so what? We didn't _do_ anything…" she trailed off, trying not to look too embarrassed.

"I'm glad to hear it, even if I don't fully believe it. You should really get to know each other better before you get into _anything_ like that." Trinity replied looking pleased.

"That's what we were doing. We were honestly just talking." Switch assured her.

"Uh-huh and then sleeping together…" Trinity teased.

"Oh shush." Switch scorned jokingly. "You haven't said anything to anyone, have you?" she asked, worry creeping back into her voice.

"Course not, this is just between us. However if you two keep acting like you have been its not going to take long for the others to clue onto what's going on." Trinity cautioned.

Switch smiled sheepishly, she knew what she meant. Apoc had been a little overly friendly with her at breakfast this morning.

"Is it that obvious?" she asked, feeling herself blush slightly.

"You may as well have it written on your foreheads!" Trinity exclaimed.

Switch giggled uncomfortably, at a loss for what to say. She really wasn't making a good impression on any of them.

"I hope things work out for you guys though, I think you'll make a great team and an even better couple." she added, nudging her elbow into Switch's stomach.

"Oh really?" Switch asked, nudging her back.

"Really, you crazy chic." Trinity replied, rolling her eyes. "We can talk about this later but we had better go before someone comes looking for us." she said, making a move towards the door.

Switch nodded and followed Trinity out of the room.

They left the med bay, walking out as though nothing had happened and returned to the mess hall to find that almost everyone had already left. On their way back they had past Cypher who was now on lookout. Switch assumed Tank and Dozer must be in the engine room and as for Morpheus she had no idea where he had gone. Apoc still sat at the table waiting for them. Her face lit up when she saw him, she was glad he was still there. It looked like he was waiting for her.

Switch crossed the room and sat down next to him, giving him a smile. She looked to Trinity, confused at to why she was lingering by the door. She had assumed Trinity would come at sit with them.

"Well, I guess I'll just leave you two love birds alone then." Trinity offered, winking at them as she backed out of the room.

Switch couldn't help but giggle under her breath. Trinity was so good at making things awkward when she wanted to.

Apoc shock his head looking slightly embarrassed.

"Bye Trin." he chuckled, running his hand through his hair nervously.

Trinity gave them a dramatic knowing looking before she turned and sauntered from the room.

Once she had left Apoc turned to look at Switch.

"So, how did that go?" he asked, a small smile returning to his lips.

"Good, I think… you were right, Trinity knows. But don't worry I told her exactly what happened and what didn't. She said she wouldn't tell anyone." Switch replied, trying to sound convincing.

"See, I told you there was nothing to worry about." he replied putting his arm around her.

She smiled as his arm wove around her waist, pulling her too him. She'd never been in this kind of situation before, never had anyone this interested in her. She didn't know if they were moving to fast, she didn't even know if they were going anywhere at all. But whatever was going on between them it came naturally to her, which was a surprise. He was pulling out a side of her she didn't even know existed. But now that she thought about it she didn't even know who she was anymore. She wasn't the same person she had been inside the Matrix.

"Now come on. We can't just sit around all day. Lets go see if Tank and Dozer need any help." Apoc suggested, letting go of her.

He stood to his feet and offered her his hand. She gladly slipped her small pale hand into his big dark one, allowing him to pull her to her feet. Reluctantly letting go of his hand she followed him out of the mess hall and down towards the engine room. She felt a flutter of excitement and she wasn't sure if that had to do with Apoc holding her hand or the fact that she was finally being allowed to work along side the rest of crew. She decided it was both. A grin formed on her face as she realized that even after only a few days she was feeling more alive than she had ever felt and that didn't have to do with being free of the Matrix.


	4. The Return Trip

Switch lay in bed thinking over the events of the past month. She had slowly started to adapt to her new life outside the Matrix by working, learning, and surviving alongside her newfound companions. This new life was tough. It was always cold, the work was hard, and the food was unpleasant to say the least. But still she woke up each morning, tired from the lack of sleep. But rushing out to breakfast anyway, eager to see everyone again. It was the people that made this life bearable.

Looking back now so much had happened; her whole life had been turned upside down. There had been plenty of highlights, days spent laughing with Tank and Dozer down in the engine room. Even though the work was tiring they always made some joke out of it and had her laughing about the smallest things. They had become like brothers to her. They were what she had always imagined a brother to be like, kind, caring and protective but just as willing to joke around and tease you. They could always make her feel better. They had a natural goodness to them and just being around them was enough to make life seem so much more livable.

But even closer to her than them was Trinity. She had quickly become her closest friend and confidant. She could tell Trinity anything. She was always there to listen to her and she knew she had her back no matter what, and she would do the same for her. They shared a bond only two girls could have. She couldn't imagine what it must have been like for Trinity living all those years with only men for company. She felt protective over Trinity, she was like the sister she never had. She would lay down her life for her, she meant that much to her. They all did. The whole crew had become like a family to her. She respected Morpheus like a father, loved Trinity like a sister, joked with Tank and Dozer like brothers and even Cypher was like older brother to her in his funny way. Apoc was different though, he felt like something much more than family.

Apoc hadn't been back in her room again since that night, almost a month ago now, but they had become closer than ever. They were constantly paired together on shifts so they passed the time by learning every detail they could about each other. She felt as though she knew him better than she knew herself at times. They worked together well and evened each other out. Switch tried to put up a front of toughness but was weak emotionally, and she knew it. Apoc was open and friendly. He wasn't guarded around anyone, which made him a target. But he was emotionally strong and could handle whatever was thrown at him. They were opposites in almost everyway but they were exactly what the other needed. She didn't know what she had done to deserve someone like Apoc. He was the best thing she had ever had. He understood her, supported her, and listened to her. Something no one had ever done before. He was the one thing holding her together. She knew Trinity, Tank and Dozer cared about her but without Apoc she wouldn't have handled this transition well.

Her life had fallen into an easy pattern of work, sleep, food, work, sleep, food; a pattern made tolerable only by the people she survived it with. The time had passed so quickly and yet she already felt a sense of familiarity in this new world. She had finally found a place where she felt like she really belonged. She knew she was exactly where she was supposed to be. On occasions when talking with Morpheus she had come to learn he was a big believer in fate. She didn't know if she agreed with him or not but if fate had led her here then she was grateful.

She had soon learnt that life here was precious. There was always a nagging fear in the back of her mind that something could easily happen to take any of them away from her. Her rational side told her to distance herself for them so she wouldn't break if something happened to them, but she couldn't. It only made her love them more while she had them. They were her family now. She would protect them to her last breath.

She sighed to herself. She knew she needed to get up, everyone would be at breakfast now. Sitting up she rubbed her eyes and pulled herself out of bed. She clumsily changed into her normal work clothes and ambled towards the door, almost walking into it. Shaking her head she tried to wake herself up, she needed her wits about her before she met the others. Deciding it was helpless, she was just too exhausted too feel fully awake, she headed out into the corridor, making her way towards the mess hall. However the idea of breakfast tempted her to rush to the bathroom instead, skipping breakfast all together. The food had gotten to the point where she felt sick even thinking about it.

Switch walked through the door leading into the mess hall. Looking into the room she everyone sat around the table except for Tank who was on lookout now.

"Hey, Switch!" Dozer called when he saw her.

"Morning." she replied, grinning as she strolled into the crowded room.

"Already served you up some." Dozer offered; gesturing towards the bowl placed on the table.

"Aww, thanks." she mocked. "You know how much I love this stuff." she added with a chuckle as she took her seat between Cypher and Apoc.

"I make it myself, you know." he joked, winking at her.

"Fishing for compliments now, are we?" she taunted with a smug smile.

"Hey I'm just -" Dozer protested.

"Okay, okay. That's enough you two." Morpheus cut in, laughing slightly at their antics. "I have something rather important to discuss this morning." he continued, a more serious tone to his voice.

They all sat in silence, interested to hear what Morpheus had to say.

"Well actually I have Apoc to thank for this really…" Morpheus started, gesturing to Apoc who looked back at him in bewilderment.

"The new tracing equipment he installed has found a bluepill ready for ejection from the Matrix." Morpheus continued.

"Really?" Apoc exclaimed looking completely shocked.

Apoc was too modest, of course it worked. Switch didn't doubt it for a second. Apoc had been perfecting that program for weeks. He had been so thorough that there was no way it couldn't have worked.

Morpheus nodded. "He goes by the name hacker name of 'Mouse' and has begun searching for the Matrix. I must commend you Apoc, your program has run better than any I have seen before."

Apoc grinned, still looking completely stunned.

"So, we will need to plan a safe time and place to meet with him. We have pinpointed his location to a computer repair store in central New York City. We are going to offer him freedom from the Matrix and a place on our ship." Morpheus explained.

"I'll go survey his area for agents." Trinity offered, getting to her feet.

Morpheus nodded to her as she made her way out of the mess hall, towards the monitors on the main bridge.

"I think if the area is clean we should just go get him now, get this thing over with." Cypher suggested, turning to look at Morpheus.

"You're right. The longer we leave him there the more likely it is that an agent will find him." Morpheus agreed.

"It's settled then." Apoc added, giving them both a smile.

Everyone went back to eating quietly. None of them seemed to be in any rush. But Switch sat fidgeting, unable to eat anything. She was excited about the idea of going back into the Matrix but also nervous. If they were going into the Matrix they would all be at risk. Her fear wasn't irrational. Trinity had told her how two of the former crewmembers were killed fighting agents. She assumed she would eventually get used to the threat of agents, like the rest of them obviously had. But she didn't know what to expect and feared this unknown predator that was much more powerful than them.

The others finally finished eating their breakfast and looked to Morpheus.

"Okay, lets go see how Trinity's going and if she's found anything." Morpheus decided, hauling himself off the bench and standing to his feet.

Dozer quietly collected all their bowls and took them over to the sink. Once he returned to them Morpheus gestured for them all to follow him as he made his way out of the mess hall.

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Switch peered over Apoc's shoulder as they all crowded over the computer Trinity was sat at. They had spent the last hour checking over every little thing to ensure they wouldn't run into any trouble in the Matrix. She didn't fully understand everything they did. She had learnt everything she needed to take shifts and be on lookout for sentinels but when it came to jacking-in she was at a loss. She didn't need to worry though, Tank and Dozer could do this in their sleep. They were all in good hands.

"It looks clear." Trinity noted after finishing a second scan of the area.

Trinity pulled herself out of the chair, allowing Tank to take her place. She looked to Morpheus, awaiting his instruction.

"Right, lets move." Morpheus ordered, taking charge of his crew. "Trinity. Apoc. Cypher. You three will collect him. Tank; contact Mouse. Tell him to meet us at the old theater two blocks from his apartment. Dozer power up the data probes." Morpheus directed, quickly pointing people towards places and objects.

There was a collective nodding, as everyone understood what they were supposed to do. Switch quickly moved out of the way as they all rushed around her, preparing for the journey.

"Morpheus!" Switch called over the organized chaos that had broken out around her.

He turned to look at her for the first time.

"What would you like me to do?" she asked, her voice coming out much weaker than she wanted it to. She hoped he would have something for her to do; she didn't want to be completely useless.

"Hmm, well…" he pondered. He clearly hadn't worked her into their mission tactic.

She could understand that taking her in could be dangerous; she wasn't anywhere near as experienced as them and could be a liability on their mission. She was prepared for him to tell her to wait here with Tank and Dozer, but she had to ask.

"Would you like to serve as guard? You can stay with me at the Lafayette Hotel while the others collect Mouse." he offered.

Switch nodded, happy to take any position she could get. She knew she was surplus to the mission, Morpheus didn't need a guard. He was just trying to make her fell important. She appreciated what he was doing though.

"Alright, places everyone!" Morpheus ordered.

Morpheus walked towards the jack-in seat, gesturing for Switch to do the same. Switch quickly dashed over to the nearest chair and took a seat. Relaxing back into the cold metal chair she lined her headjack up with the data probe, waiting for Dozer to plug her in.

She tried to clear her mind. Everything had happened so fast. They had been in the mess hall eating breakfast not an hour ago and now she was about to re-enter the Matrix for the very first time. She felt her stomach knot in anticipation; she couldn't believe she was doing this.

"Alright." Dozer said as he was about to plug Morpheus in. "Good luck everyone and we'll see you all real soon." he wishfully guaranteed.

Without another word Dozer prepared to plug Morpheus in. Switch watched as the probe was pushed in, as gently as possible, Morpheus brows creased and he grimaced slightly at the pain. Dozer walked round to Trinity, reaching for the data probe. Switch pulled her eyes away and instead focused on the ceiling, she didn't want to watch any longer. She knew it was only slightly painful, nothing they couldn't handle but she didn't want the image of their pained expressions in her mind. She heard Dozer's heavy tread come up behind. She closed her eyes and felt the expected stab of pain as the probe was forced into her brain.

She felt like her mind was being bent and stretched out to its limits. It was like being momentary torn apart from the inside. Just as soon as the pain had come it was gone and her mind snapped into the new reality of the Matrix. She was standing upright in a completely foreign environment. It looked like a hallway of sorts. There were several doors against each wall and a staircase at the end of the hall. The hall was dimly lit and the whole place looked derelict and abandoned. For some reason this place seemed familiar. She couldn't remember having been here but she still had a feeling that this place was important. Looking around she saw Apoc standing next to her, he looked different though. His hair was slicked back and he was wearing a black suit with sunglasses. She noted that it was a good look, but she didn't dwell on that for long. Turning around she saw Trinity and Cypher talking to Morpheus. They were all wearing a mixture of trench coats, sunglasses and leather, all in black. It was strange seeing them like this after only seeing them in worn old jumpers and ripped jeans. They looked stronger, more powerful, and even a little dangerous. It suddenly clicked that she probably looked different too. Looking down she saw she was dressed in a white suit and jacket. Noticing the change she frantically tried to look herself over for any other changes. Feeling her head she felt her short white hair again, it was back just like it was when she was in the training programs. She didn't have any plugs on her skin either like she had in the real world. This was what Morpheus had called her 'digital projection'. She liked it, but couldn't understand why she was dressed so differently to the others.

"You three had better go now. We don't have time to waste." Morpheus suggested, pulling Switch out of her thoughts.

She looked to Morpheus, she knew he wasn't talking to her but wanted to hear what he had to say anyway.

"Trinity." Morpheus called, making her spin round to face him. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a gun and offered it to her. "He should be clean but take this just incase." Morpheus explained, gently pressing the gun into her open hand.

Trinity nodded curtly, gripping the gun and turning back around to face the others, preparing to leave.

Switch noticed a change in her from this morning. Wearing her leather trench coat and black glasses she appeared tougher. She noticed it in all of them, the moment they had entered the Matrix they had become soldiers. Cold. Distant. Strong.

"Let's move out." Trinity ordered. Striding down the hall, ushering for the others to follow her. She locked eyes with Switch as she past her and gave her a small nod in recognition. Before she continued on, picking up her pace and disappearing down the staircase. Cypher followed straight after her, almost running to keep pace.

Switch's eyes flickered over to Apoc who was still stood next to her. He hesitated before making a move to follow them, turning to move towards her instead. Coming to stand in front of her he took both of her hands into his.

"I'll see you later. Okay?" he asked, gently rubbing his thumbs over the back of her hands.

"Okay." she replied with a small smile. She couldn't help a blush creeping onto her face.

He broke out into an eager grin, her reaction giving him a boost of confidence he leaned in to softly kiss her check, hearing her inhale as he kissed her. Apoc pulled back from her, a pleased smile on his face as he turned and walked away from her down the hall.

Switch was left in a slight daze as she watched his figure make its way down the hall. He was just about the walk down the stairs when she snapped back to reality.

"Apoc!" she called, just as his hand gripped the metal banister.

He swiveled round to look at her, the same smile on his face.

"Be careful." she pleaded, her concern pouring out into those two words.

His face softened and he nodded to her. Their eyes locking in understanding, she wanted him to come back unharmed. He resentfully pulled his eyes away from her and disappeared down the stairs after the others.

She stood watching after him, letting out a long sigh as she heard the door slam shut on the bottom floor. They were gone. Turning round she saw Morpheus patiently waiting, his hands behind his back.

Oh god. She had completely forgotten he was still there. He had been so quiet she hadn't even given a thought to her _captain_ standing behind her while she and Apoc said their goodbyes. She quickly looked to the ground, unable to look at him. She felt her face turn bright red; she couldn't believe she had done that in front of Morpheus.

Morpheus cleared his throat awkwardly. Trying to pretend as though nothing had happened.

"Well, there's nothing to do now but wait." he said, breaking the awkward silence.

Switch just nodded, embarrassment growing. This was a disaster. She had hoped to possibly talk to Morpheus while they waited for the others but she couldn't see that happening now. But more importantly she had been trying to keep how she felt about Apoc under wraps. It was becoming increasingly difficult and Apoc's public displaces of affection towards her would soon be the death of her attempts at secrecy. It wasn't that she didn't want anyone to know about them it was just that she didn't want to be perceived as weak by the rest of the crew. She could just imagine what Cypher would say, the ribbing she would get from Tank and Dozer, but the thing she had been most worried about was Morpheus' reaction. He was the ranking officer and could have her kicked off his ship if he saw fit. She didn't know what he would think of them being together, he could deem her a distraction. She couldn't bear it if he sent her to another ship or to Zion.

"We can wait in here." Morpheus offered, opening the door to a room just behind them. He gave her a small smile as she quickly dashed through the door.

That gave her a small spark of hope. It was rare to see Morpheus smiling, unlike Tank and Apoc. So he was obviously happy about something. She assumed it was the prospect of a new crewmember so perhaps in this mood he would be willing to overlook what he had just witnessed.

Switch looked around the room she had just waked into. It wasn't overly big and was just as derelict as the hall they had arrived in. Again she was hit with a strange feeling of familiarity. The mirror against the back wall, the faded red chairs, the blacked out windows, it was like being in a dream.

"Morpheus." Switch said, looking around the room. "Have I been here before?" she mumbled, more to herself than him.

"Of course, this is where you met me. Don't you remember?" he questioned, turning to look at her.

She shock her head, she couldn't remember much of what had happened that night. But it made sense as Mouse was being brought here as well.

"This is the former Lafayette Hotel. It has now become our main entrance point to the Matrix." he explained.

"I like it." she replied, giving Morpheus a smile before she walked further into the room. Looking at everything and taking it all in.

Morpheus didn't reply to her comment, there was nothing else to say. They both fell into silence after that. All they could do was wait. Wait and pray for the safety of the others.

Morpheus began pacing the room, deep in thought. His coat flowing out behind him and he paced the worn floor. She wondered how many times he had done this. Of all the crew Morpheus was the person she knew the least about. She only really knew what Trinity had told her. She trusted him no end but she didn't feel like she could say that she _knew_ him.

Switch didn't want to bother him so she took a seat in the corner of the room, leaning against the brick wall. It felt strange to her being back inside the Matrix. If she didn't know better she would swear all this was real, but it wasn't. She could touch, taste, smell, see and feel everything and it all felt so real. The complexity of the Matrix was incredible but it was doing her head in so she tried to stop thinking about it. Learning about the Matrix made her realize that everything she knew wasn't real, how accurate was the Matrix? What did all the things she saw around her _really_ feel like, smell like, she would never know. They no longer had these things in the real world.

She changed her train of thought. She was getting too analytical over things that didn't even matter anymore. She instead began to wonder what Apoc was doing right now. That opened up a whole new world of worries. They had checked the area was clean of Agents but something could still happen. She couldn't even think of something happening to Apoc, if she lost him she didn't know what she would do. She couldn't survive in this world without him. He was the one thing keeping her grounded, the one person she truly trusted. The only one who always made time for her; who cared, who _really _cared about her not only a physical level but also on an emotional level. She knew he could more than handle himself but that didn't stop her worrying. It was almost bitterly comical that just this morning she had come to the realization that the crew was her family; that she would die to protect them. And yet her she was, forced to sit and wait here while they were out there putting themselves in danger. Her heartbeat started to spike. She needed to calm down, worrying wouldn't help them any. She tried to think of something else to distract herself. Her mind immediately went back to a few nights ago. She was flooded with the memory so strongly she could almost see it. She had just come off shift and was headed to the mess hall for something to eat. She had expected the hall to be empty but it wasn't. Apoc was there. They had sat there talking for what felt like hours, just talking. That was one of things she loved about Apoc, the way they could just talk about anything. It didn't have to be important, they would go off on tangents, talking about the silliest things. Switch smiled to herself at the memory, she felt calmer already.

She sat for an uncountable amount of time, playing with the hem of her coat, spinning the gun Morpheus had given her around. It was on safety, obviously, she wasn't an idiot. But time seemed to drag as she sat in this dark, quiet room waiting for the others to return.

She was starting feel almost sleepy, but whenever she felt herself dozing of the though of Apoc in danger would snap her awake. Morpheus was still pacing the room. It must be a habit of his as he didn't even look aware that he was doing it.

There was a sudden crash from downstairs. Switch jumped to her feet, automatically holding the gun out in front of her. Listening more intently she heard the sound of a boy's rambling voice and Apoc's loud laugh. She sighed in relief, lowering her weapon. She was too thankful to even bother going out to meet them. Apoc and Trinity were back and they were safe. That was all that really mattered.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Switch's mind snapped back to reality as she jacked out of the Matrix system. The room seemed to spin as she adjusted to the new environment. She clung onto the armrests, feeling slightly nauseous. She sat up slowly, trying to make world stop spinning. They had told her she would get used to this; she hoped they were right. Looking around she saw everyone else getting up. Trinity literally ran past her towards the monitor, she almost crashed into Dozer in her rush to swap positions with him. Trinity frantically started searching through sets of coding that Switch had never even seen before. Dozer ran towards the ladder leading down to the engine room but instead of climbing down he jumped straight onto the ground floor. Morpheus and Cypher pulled themselves out of their seats and dashed across the room, making their way down after him. Tank quickly walked past her, headed towards the stairs leading up to the driving deck. Apoc quickly maneuvered his way around her, not even noticing her in his rush. He sprinted over to the med bay, leaving the door open. Switch looked around her in complete bewilderment. The only person still on the main deck was Trinity and she was so immersed in what she was doing Switch didn't dare disturb her.

Switch pulled herself to her feet and scuttled across the bridge, dashing into the med bay after Apoc. She couldn't understand what everyone was in such a rush over but if anyone were likely to explain things to her it would be Apoc. Standing awkwardly at the door she watched while Apoc worked. More specifically she watched him, not really caring what he was doing. She like the way he moved, his movements were deliberate, thought out, and carried a power behind them. It wasn't his physical appearance she found fascinating, though she couldn't deny she liked it; it was the way you could almost see his very soul radiating out of him in everything he did. He wasn't closed off like she was, his emotions were almost tangible and that was what she loved about him. Shaking her head to clear her mind she took note of what he was actually doing doing. He was dashing between the cabinets and the metal bench, collecting various needles and equipment. He had begun setting them up on the bench, preparing for when Mouse would be brought in. It suddenly hit her that she had absolutely no idea how this process worked. She didn't have time to wonder about it, she would be seeing it in just a moment. She was starting to reach a creepy level of watching Apoc so she walked further into the room to talk to him.

"Need a hand with anything?" Switch asked as she came up behind him.

"Hey." he replied, sounding slightly surprised as he turned around to face her. "Sorry, didn't see ya there. Umm sure…" he rambled, distracted by what he was doing.

He looked around for a moment before his eyes lock onto a white sheet rolled up on the bench in front of him. He quickly picked it up along with a bottle of antiseptic and held them out to her.

Switch took them off him, looking at him quizzically as to what she should do with them.

"Soak that in antiseptic and lay it on the table. They'll be bringing him in here soon." he explained, giving her a small smile.

"Sure." she replied, returning his smile.

Walking over to the table she spread the clean sheet out on metal slab. She remembered waking up in here. It wasn't a particularly pleasant memory. Picking up the bottle of antiseptic she began rubbing it into the sheet, the sharp smell made her crinkle her nose. This stuff was their immediate go-to medical item. You couldn't risk anything getting infected. Once the sheet was fully covered she closed off the bottle and took it back to Apoc. Coming to stand beside him at the side bench she saw he had finished whatever he was doing. The entire bench was now covered in a strange collection of tools and needles. Had she not known better she would think they were going torture him. A small smile crept onto her face as she remembered when she woke up, in this very room, thinking that she was in some twisted mad science lab. It was funny looking back on it now. That couldn't be further from the truth.

She rested her back against the bench, her elbows on the bench top. She looked up at Apoc who was standing next to her, staring off into space, a worried look on his face.

She knew he was worried about Mouse. Whatever the process was of getting someone out of Matrix it was obvious that it wasn't a pleasant one.

"Apoc." she muttered quietly, pulling him out of his thoughts. He looked down at her, his eyes lingering on hers.

"What does it look like when someone leaves the Matrix?" she asked gently, unable to keep the curiosity out of her voice.

"Well." he began, taking a deep sigh. "Let's just say it's not a pretty sight when a body's been ejected from the Matrix. It's one of the things I most struggle with on this ship. Seeing a body so broken and weak. One that you saw healthy just a few moments before. He won't be the same boy he was back in the Matrix. Not for a while anyway." he explained, a dejected expression coming over his face.

"Did, did, I look like that?" she asked, stuttering slightly.

He nodded, a sad smile on his face. "I remember on the car ride with you to meet Morpheus you were sassy as hell, giving me dirtiest looks." he chuckled, looking shyly at her.

She giggled, she didn't remember it but it sounding like something she would have done.

"But then you were here…" he trailed off, pointing to the table she had put the sheet on. "God, you looked frail as anything. You were lying there for days while your body healed." he paused. He looked pained as he talked about it. "When you woke up I had just gone for lunch. Trust you to wake up exactly then. Someone had been waiting with you at all times. Morpheus doesn't like letting anyone wake up without someone being there. I came in to wait with you. I still remember the moment I saw you clearly. You were crumpled on the ground. You looked so helpless. I tried to joke with you, mainly for my own sake…." he trailed off, struggling to meet her eye.

She stood there in silence. Completely stunned and at a loss for what to say. She couldn't believe he remembered that much. The way he talked about her it sounded like it had actually pained him to she her go through that. She smiled sadly at him, her hand reaching up to cup his face. His eyes closed and he leant his face into her hand, inhaling her scent. She was lost in a moment of perfect peace, forgetting about the chaos taking place around them.

"You may not want to stay in here." he mumbled, his eyes opening to look at her.

She knew he was being kind, not wanting her too feel like she had to watch this. But she needed to lighten the mood. Apoc did everything with his emotions and she didn't want him going into this feeling like he was now.

Putting on an exaggerated scowl she removed her hand from his face and playfully punched him in the shoulder.

"What do you take me for, huh? I ain't no wimp." she protested, not managing to keep a soft giggle out of her voice.

"Sorry, sorry." he apologized, raising his hands in surrender, a grin forming on his face. "But don't say I didn't warn you." he chuckled, reaching out to rustle her hair.

"I consider myself fully warned." she retorted with a smile.

She opened her mouth to add some other pointless comment to continue there play argument when she heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Taking a step away from Apoc she stood up straighter and prepared herself for whatever was about to come through the door.

The first thing she saw was Morpheus back. He came through the door supporting Mouse's head. Cypher and Dozer squashed through the door after him, carrying the rest of the boy. His body looked so small and deformed, surely just one of them could have carried him. But the positioning they were carrying him in looked very methodical. They were obviously trying not to put any more trauma on his weak body. They made their way carefully over to table she had prepared, placing him down as gently as they possibly could. He had a blanket wrapped around him for his dignity but also for warmth.

Once he was settled Cypher gave Mouse's unconscious body a small smile, looking slightly disheartened. He then looked up and nodded curtly to the rest of them before he left the room. Morpheus made his way over to her and Apoc. He began looking through the supplies for whatever was needed to treat him while Dozer stayed next to Mouse.

She felt slightly guilty as she made her way over to the table to take a better look at Mouse. She wouldn't have liked it if people had been starring at her but she was too curious to stop herself. Reaching the table she looked down and got quiet a shock. She hardly recognized the body in front of her as Mouse. His body appeared even thinner than it had before. He was only a tiny thing back in the Matrix but now he could pass for a child. All his bones were protruding from his body, his skin looked paper-thin and he was covered in a revolting clear substance. His hair was completely gone making him look even less human. To put it simply he looked awful.

Her heart went out to him; she could hardly believe this was the same boy as before. It looked like he had had all the life drained out of him. It was like staring at a ghost of the boy's former self. She stood there in complete shock, faced with the harsh reality right in her face. She couldn't believe she had looked like that. That they had _all_ looked like that. It was in moments like these when the idea of giving up seemed appealing. There was too much pain in this life, both here and in the Matrix. No matter where you went you couldn't escape it.

She felt numb as Apoc wrapped his arm around her and guided her from the room. She almost tripped over her own feet as they scuffed along the ground. They left the med bay and made their way over to the mess hall. Apoc didn't let go of her; if he had she probably would have fallen over. Walking into the mess hall Apoc helped her sit down, letting go of her only once he was sure she was stable. She felt slightly nauseous and took a deep breath, trying to stop her stomach knotting in on itself.

"I've got to get back." Apoc muttered, looking apologetically at her. He didn't want to leave her alone but Mouse needed him. "I'll see you later though…" he assured her, trailing off when he saw a stray tear on her face.

Switch just nodded, not up to talking right now. She didn't want to lose it. She had to keep her shit together. She quickly wiped away the tears that had suddenly sprung to her eyes.

"Hey." Apoc comforted, kneeling down beside her. "Don't get down about this. I know it's not exactly nice to see but he's here now. He's gonna be fine." he assured her, clasping her knees with his hands, looking up at her, a smile on his face.

Switch smiled and pulled him into a hug, resting her chin in his dark brown hair. She held him close to her, closing her eyes, forgetting about everything. Focusing on the feel of him pressed up against her.

"Guess you were right, I'm just a big wimp." she laughed, trying to cheer them both up.

He pulled back in mocking shock. His mouth open dramatically, holding his hand to his heart; looking flabbergasted.

"You? Never!" he exclaimed in aghast, grinning cheekily at her.

"Oh shut _up_." she groaned, shoving him teasingly.

He started laughing when she hit him, pulling himself to his feet. He gave her one last parting smile and turned to leave the room.

"You cannot tell _anyone_ about this." she called after him.

"I don't make promises I can't keep." he countered, turning round at the door frame, a smug grin on his face.

Switch, thinking of nothing to say childishly stuck her tongue out at him. He shook his head at her chucking, before leaving the room.

Switch sat staring at the doorframe after him. She was now alone in the mess hall and at a complete loss at to what she should do now. She definitely wasn't going back into the med bay and Cypher was on lookout now so she wasn't overly keen on chatting with him. She knew Tank was still driving, she could go see him but she would be likely to bother him more than help him. That left Trinity who Switch assumed would be in her room.

She could really do with talking to Trinity; she needed to get over the dejection she was feeling about Mouse. It was pathetic of her to get down about this of all things. She had handled her own transition into this life relatively well but it was very different for her watching it happen to someone else. Maybe it was just that he was so young and innocent, everything she wasn't, that she struggled to see him go through this. Or maybe it was just that she finally realized the reality of the Matrix by seeing its affect on another's life. Whatever the reasoning she needed to let it go, she couldn't keep getting upset about things like this. She needed to be tough like the rest of them.

Pulling herself to her feet she made her way out of the mess hall, leaving all her pointless worrying behind as she went out in search of Trinity. She made her way across the main bridge and into the corridor where all their dormitories and bathroom were. Walking down the cold hall she stopped outside Trinity's room. Reaching out she tapped her knuckles gently on the hard metal wall. Switch heard the sound of hasty footsteps and crashing around inside Trinity's room. A moment later the thick iron door was pulled open and Trinity's face peered round to look at her. A grin formed on her face when she saw it was Switch.

"Hey." Trinity welcomed, standing aside to let Switch in.

"Hey." Switch mumbled as she scurried into Trinity's room, a small smile also forming on her face.

Switch wandered into the room and turned around to face Trinity as she closed the door behind them.

"You okay?" Trinity asked as she turned around to see Switch looking at her, a vacant expression on her face.

Switch nodded, forcing a small smile. Trinity saw straight through her fake smile. Switch wasn't sure what to do now. Why had she even come here in the first place? She didn't have anything important to say to Trinity.

"Come sit." Trinity offered, walking across her room and talking a seat on her bed, gesturing for Switch to join her.

Switch quietly sat down beside Trinity, unable to look at her. She knew she wasn't being very friendly towards her. She had let her into her room and now she was just moping.

"You know you can talk to me." Trinity said calmly, putting her hand gently on her shoulder.

Switch looked across at her at smiled. She was lucky to have Trinity; she shouldn't shut her out. Even though she felt weak taking about how she was feeling she knew that Trinity wouldn't judge her.

"I know." Switch replied. "And thank you for that." she added.

Trinity smiled, removing her hand from Switch. "So you gonna tell me what's got you down?" she asked, looking at Switch curiously.

"It's nothing really. Just seeing Mouse…" she trailed off, slightly embarrassed.

"Oh did you stay?" Trinity asked, surprised.

Switch nodded, saying nothing.

"I don't usually stay if I don't have to. It's not particularly nice to watch." Trinity continued, looking a little disheartened.

Switch didn't say anything, there was nothing she could think off. It was something they couldn't change; giving any further opinions was pointless.

They sat in silence for a while, both lost in their own thoughts. Switch tried to forget about it. There was nothing she could do, so there was no point in thinking about it.

"Trinity." Switch mumbled, breaking to comfortable silence they had fallen into.

"Mmm?" she asked, turning to look at her, pulling out of her thoughts.

"Do, do you think…" she paused, taking a deep breath. "Apoc like's me?" she asked, looking sheepishly at Trinity. She couldn't believe she had just asked that.

Trinity couldn't help laughing at Switch's embarrassed expression. She thought it was adorable how nervous Switch was about this.

"What do _you_ think?" Trinity countered, a smile forming on her lips.

Switch sighed, resting her head in her hands, her elbows propped up on her knees.

"I don't know Trin." Switch started. "We've been close from the beginning but since that night he hasn't really acted any different with me than he does with anyone else. Maybe he's gotten bored of me, or realized that I'm not the kind of girl he want's to deal with." she explained sadly.

Trinity shook her head, chuckling to herself. "And all this time I thought you were smart…" Trinity sighed dramatically.

Switch looked at her in confusion.

"Switch, listen to me." Trinity continued more seriously, looking her dead in the eye. "I know Apoc, I've had to put up with him for the last four years. It hasn't been easy. Let me tell you that… but the change you've had on him is so obvious to those of us that have known him as long as I have. Trust me Switch, Apoc likes you. A lot." Trinity assured her.

Switch couldn't help but smile; Trinity had a way of making you believe whatever you she told you. She had a knack for convincing you to see things her way.

"Thanks, Trin. I just hope your right." Switch replied, returning her smile.

"Okay, enough moping around discussing boys. People will start thinking were weak, hormonal, _woman._" Trinity almost spat with disgust, her grin gave her away.

"Well now, we can't have that!" Switch exclaimed a playful grin on her face.

Trinity shook her head vigorously. "Definitely not!" she replied, keeping up their act.

They both broke out laughing. It was good to let out some of the stress after a difficult day.

"Okay." Trinity sighed, once she pulled herself together. "Lets go see what Tank's up to and if he needs any help." Trinity suggested, standing to her feet.

Switch jumped up after her, felling much better than she had when she entered the room. Trinity offered her arm to Switch, a grin still on her face. Slipping her arm through Trinity's they strode from the room, heading out to find Tank.


	5. The Start of Something

Switch sat perched up on the balcony railing overlooking the engine room. It was the day after they had returned into the Matrix to retrieve Mouse. She had spent the morning working in the engine room with Trinity, Tank and Dozer. Switch desperately wanted to still be helping them but she had been made to sit down, holding an ice pack to her head. She had been climbing over part of the piping system and hadn't noticed the bar on front of her, hitting her head smack into it. She now watched as Trinity hauled a new power pack over to the generator while Tank and Dozer were firing up the boiler to heat the water for the shower room. She felt like a complete idiot. Her body in the real world still wasn't as strong or a coordinated as it had been in the Matrix.

The door to the engine room behind her was kicked open, making her jump. Spinning around she saw Apoc walking towards her.

"Hey!" Switch called when she saw him. Her face lighting up, she always felt better when he was around.

"Hey, what happened to you?" Apoc asked coming up behind her.

She pulled her legs back over the railing so she could sit facing him.

"Nothing, just hit my head." Switch mumbled feeling slightly embarrassed. She didn't want him to think she was any weaker than he probably already thought she was.

Apoc chuckled breathily, shaking his head at her.

"Can you not go a day without least one trip to the med bay?" he asked teasingly.

"Apparently not. I hope this will be the last time but I'm not holding my breath." Switch replied sullenly.

"Let's hope. You can't afford to lose anymore brain cells." he joked, a grin forming on his face

She rolled her eyes at him, kicking him in the side, but it only made him laugh. She couldn't help but smile; she liked his laugh. He had a deep, genuine laugh that was infectious no matter what mood she was in. But she wasn't going to let him off that easily for teasing her. She jumped down and started attacking him. She relentlessly began punching him in the chest, not hard but enough to show she was angry. She knew he had come straight from the med bay and would need cheering up. Her play fighting with him should be enough to do that.

"Sorry, sorry. I surrender!" he cried, almost doubled over laughing.

She smirked, holding her hands on her hips, looking down at him. Calming down he regained his posture and grinned cheekily at her. Apoc took a hesitative step towards her, looking suddenly nervous. There was a sudden change in his entire body. He went from joking to suddenly looking very tense. She eyed him warily as he stood right in front of her. His hands we shaking slightly as he opened his mouth to say something.

"Switch!" Dozer called out from bellow her.

Shit.

Spinning round she leaned over the balcony, looking down into the engine room.

"Yeah?" she asked, trying not to sound irritable. Dozer didn't know he was ruining whatever Apoc was trying to say.

"Could you run and get us something to drink?" he asked. "If you're feeling better that is." he added kindly.

"Sure thing." she agreed, giving him a smile.

Turning on her heel she saw Apoc still standing behind her, no longer looking nervous but slightly embarrassed. She smiled kindly at him, hoping to encourage him. Her heart fluttered slightly wondering what he was going to say. She had an idea, but she didn't want to get her hopes up.

Swiftly moving past him she made her back up the ladder onto the main bridge, making her way over to the mess hall. She could hear Apoc's heavy tread behind her but said nothing. She felt her heart rate quicken. Apoc didn't usually follow her around like this. Walking into the mess hall she crossed the room and knelt down in front of the cabinets under the sink. Pulling one of the draws open she took out three broken old mugs from the cupboard and placed them on the countertop by the sink. Standing up she move in front of the basin and slowly started filling up the first cup, almost dropping it when she felt Apoc come to stand behind her.

His strong arms wrapped around her waist, holding her to him. Her heart started beating faster. This was definitely not what she had expected. He nuzzled his face into her neck making her gasp, dropping the cup into the basin. She wasn't used to this kind of physical affection.

"Apoc?" she questioned, her voice shaky.

"Mmm?" he mumbled against her skin.

He slowly moved his hands up and down her sides, making her shudder involuntarily. His hands then came to rest on her shoulders, turning her around gently to face him.

"Switch." he murmured, looking her in the eye. "There's something I have to tell you."

She looked up expectantly at him. She couldn't keep a smile off her face. She knew what he was going to say. She had to keep herself composed, he needed time to say what he wanted to and she definitely didn't want to rush him or put him off.

He took a deep breath; she could feel his hands still placed on her shoulders shaking.

"Switch, since I met you my life's become unrecognizable to what it was before. You've literally flipped my life around and, and… I don't wanna go back to what it was before." he started nervously.

Switch smiled, letting out a breathy sigh. He had changed her life more that he could ever know. She used to be so cold and heartless but since she had met him she felt softer, kinder but also stronger because she knew she was less vulnerable.

"Switch, this life sure as hell isn't easy. We could be dead tomorrow for all we know… and I don't want to spend another minute without you." he continued, his voice breaking slightly.

Her eye's softened; he was so sweet at times. He meant more to her than anything else and to hear him say that made her heart swell.

"I've already wasted so much time not telling you this, but, but…" he muttered, losing his nerve.

Switch had heard enough. Slinging her arms around his neck she pulled him down into a kiss. His eyes widened in surprise, as she pressed her lips to his. Snaking his arms around her waist he pulled her impossibly closer to him. Their lips crushed against each other's and passion pumped through her veins, making her dizzy with need. She needed this; she needed Apoc.

Switch couldn't believe this was really happening. She was kissing Apoc and he was kissing her back. She didn't want this to end. She wanted to freeze this moment and live in it forever. It was as though time and place ceased to matter as they clung to each other. There was nothing else but her and Apoc.

Reluctantly she pulled away for much needed air, their bodies heaving as the caught their breath. Apoc's lips moved to her forehead, kissing her gently.

"I love you, Switch." he whispered against her skin.

She felt herself blush, nestling her face into his neck.

"I love you too, Apoc. Always have." she murmured.

They stood there, both unwilling to move. Neither wanting any space to come between them.

Suddenly the door flung open and their perfect moment came crashing to an end.

"Did you get lost or something Swi-" Tank called as he walked in, freezing when he saw them.

Switch quickly pulled away from Apoc, her face burning.

"Oh, I _see_." Tank laughed, winking at her.

She looked away, turning beet red, beyond mortified at Tank seeing them like that.

"Sorry, about that." Apoc laughed nervously. Rubbing the back of his neck, not meeting Tank's eye.

"Well, I'll just leave you to it then…" he smirked, backing out of the room. "Just remember your dehydrating friends when you're finished." he added, chucking to himself before dashing from the room.

Apoc groaned, shaking his head at Tank's retreating form.

Feeling an overwhelming amount of shame she quickly started making the drinks, not looking at Apoc. Filling the mugs with water she grabbed them, ready to take to the others. Turning to look at Apoc she saw him looking slightly put out at her leaving.

"Don't move. I'll be right back." she ordered, giving him a wink.

His eyes widened, reading the double meaning in her words.

She grinned slyly at him before grudgingly leaving the room. Walking back across the main bridge towards the engine room she prepared herself for the ribbing she was bound to get when she got there.

Reaching the door to the engine room Switch kicked out her leg, her boot slamming into the door, flinging it open. The three mugs of water still balanced in her arms. Climbing down the ladder, successfully managing to keep her balance while her hands were tided up with carrying the water. Stepping down into the engine room she tried to keep her face calm and composed, not wanting to give away the embarrassment she was feeling. Tank looked up when he saw her, a smug smile on his face. She could feel her face turning red again.

"Hey, Switch. Didn't expect you to finish up so fast." Tank called, giving her a wink with a knowing look on his face.

She rolled her eyes at him as she crossed the room to meet him. When she reached him she handed him a cup, which he took it gratefully, gulping it down. Not wanting to linger incase he mentioned what had happened in the mess hall she quickly walked over to Dozer and Trinity who were both sat crossed legged on the floor, taking a well needed break. She sank down to the ground beside them, offering them both a drink. Grabbing them thirstily they both downed the water as fast as Tank.

"Thanks." Dozer sighed happily, grinning at Switch when he finished.

"No worries." she replied, smiling nervously back at him.

They all sat in a comfortable silence, concentrating more on resting than talking.

"So…" Tank began as he came to sit with them. "What's going on with you and Apoc, huh Switch?" he asked, nudging her in the side.

"Nothing…" she mumbled, becoming suddenly interested with the unraveling wool of her jumper sleeve.

"I wouldn't call kissing someone 'nothing'. Well I hope you don't…." Dozer replied, trailing of when Switch glared at him in horror.

"I would make her pretty heartless if she did." Tank added.

"She's not heartless, Tank. At least she's got someone…you certainly don't." Trinity countered, trying to defend Switch.

"Hey, I know my duty is more important than messing around. Unlike some people…" he teased, giving Switch a wink.

Switch narrowed her eyes at Tank, feeling her temper rise.

"What the hell?" she snapped at Tank, "You couldn't keep it to yourself could you? You had to run and tell everyone, didn't you?"

"_What?_ I just told them what I saw… it was _you_ who couldn't keep their hands to themselves." he retorted, a devilish grin on his face.

She opened her mouth to say something but was unable to think of anything.

"Can you imagine what could have had happened if I hadn't been there to ensure things didn't get out of hand…" he added self-righteously, knowing he had her stumped.

"Oh come _on_, Tank." Trinity cut in, rolling her eyes.

"No, you should have _seen_ them Trin! They were _all_ over each other, it was going south, fast." he exclaimed.

Switch jumped to her feet, infuriated. She was annoyed with herself for not being more careful. She should never have kissed Apoc, as much as she may have liked it. But more than that she was irritated with Tank. He had ruined their moment, told her closest friends and comrades about it and then had the nerve to tease her. It felt like he had stolen the last shred of her dignity from her. Feeling angry tears prick her eyes she stormed from the room, ignoring their pleading calls for her to come back.

Stumbling along the halls, her vision blurred by her tears, she made way to her room. Slamming the door shut behind her, she slumped down onto her bed giving into the relentless flow of tears. She was annoyed with herself, with her weakness, but this just made her cry harder. Her mind went straight to Apoc, she wished he was here. He would tell her everything was fine, that she was just overreacting. He would make her laugh. She tired push that from her mind, needing him only made her weaker. But then again what did it matter now, her reputation had already been ruined. They would never treat her as an equal again. She would always been seen as weak, as inferior, unable to perform her duties to the level the rest of them could. She tried to stop thinking about anything, simply crying herself out. It was the first time she had cried outside the Matrix and she vowed it would be the last. She would be colder. Tougher. Stronger. Nothing could break her.

She sat in her room for what felt like hours, but she knew it wasn't, too ashamed to face any of them. She knew staying hidden wasn't helping; she was just making herself appear even more pathetic. But she couldn't help trying to delay the inevitable. Almost as if on time a soft tapping on the metal door made her look up.

"Switch?" Apoc's voice asked.

She knew she couldn't hide any longer. She had to toughen up and face this. If Tank had asked Apoc to talk to her he was smart. If Tank had knocked on her door he might not have been glad he did. But she couldn't shut Apoc out, no matter what mood she was in. Tiptoeing over to the door she opened it enough to peer out. Apoc was stood just outside to door waiting for her. Without a word she opened the door further, letting him walk in. Closing the door quietly behind him she turned to face him, seeing he had taken a seat on the edge of her bed. Taking a deep breath she ambled over to the bed, sitting down next to him.

Apoc turned to look at her, she could feel his eyes on her face but she refused to meet them, looking down at her hands hidden in the tattered edging of her jumper.

"You've been crying." he noted, worry clear in his voice.

She didn't say anything, at a loss for what she _could_ say. Still unable meet his eye.

"Tank told me what happened with you two, he's sorry. He didn't mean to upset you." Apoc continued.

"But I don't think that's what this is about…." Apoc added, trailing off, looking hurt from her detachment.

She looked up at him confused. What else would this be about? Had something happened that actually warranted her being upset? Her mind immediately when to Mouse, was he okay?

"Before, in, in the mess hall… if I over stepped the line, I'm sorry. If you felt pressured into…" he explained, trailing off.

She felt her heart sink to her stomach, she had only been thinking about herself. She hadn't even given a thought to how Apoc would have interpreted how she reacted. He thought this was his fault. She took a deep breath, trying to decide what to say. She wished she could go back to the morning and handle this day differently. She wouldn't have hit her head in the engine room, she wouldn't have kissed Apoc in the mess hall and she defiantly wouldn't have overreacted when Tank had teased her. But she couldn't go back. So now she was stuck with a headache and an emotional mess to deal with.

"Apoc." she began, taking his hand. "I shouldn't have stormed off. I shouldn't have gotten upset… it was stupid. But it had nothing to do with you, with us." she explained, forcing a small smile.

He didn't say anything, still looking unsure. It wasn't like Switch to act like this.

Switch saw his unease and pulled him into a hug, trying to reassure him. He hugged her back, placing a light kiss on her shoulder bone.

"So what exactly did Tank say that got you so upset?" he asked, pulling back to look at her.

"Nothing. It shouldn't have bothered me so much. I was just overreacting." she mumbled, still feeling slightly embarrassed.

"Please tell me. If it was enough to upset you it can't have been nothing." he protested, smiling encouragingly at her.

"Fine." she grumbled. "He said in short, that clearly messing around was more important to me than my duties; that I couldn't keep my hands to myself. I know he was kidding, but at the time I didn't find it very funny." she finished, trying not to show any annoyance in her voice.

Apoc laughed. "Well then, I'm guilty as charged!" he exclaimed.

She raised her eyes at him, shocked by his reaction.

"I'm kidding." he assured her, giving her a wink. "So was Tank, he feels really bad. He's just jealous though." he explained.

"Of what?" she asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

"Of us. Dozer been married for years, and now we, well…" he started, looking awkwardly at Switch.

"Are together?" she asked, a shy smile forming on her lips.

He nodded, a smile spreading across his face as he gave her hand a quick squeeze.

"He must feel a little left out." he chuckled.

"Aww, poor Tank…" she replied with a small snicker. "Serve's him right for teasing me about being weak, when he probably wishes he had what we have." she said, her voice growing softer.

Saying it out loud she realized it sounded quite cruel and felt genuinely bad for Tank. It would be a rather miserable life without having what was starting to form between her and Apoc.

"It must be hard." she added more seriously, a sad smile on her face.

"I was lucky to meet you Switch." Apoc replied, smiling kindly at her.

She couldn't help a blush creeping onto her face.

"I'm glad you found me." she mumbled, meeting his eye.

She instinctively leaned towards him, closing her eyes, her lips parting slightly.

"Switch." he murmured, making her stop, her eyes opening to look at him.

"I know how you think, and, and I just want you to know that loving someone doesn't make you weak. It makes you vulnerable but if you are able to be strong when you're vulnerable that's when you learn what you're really made of." he explained, his voice breaking slightly.

She smiled at him, he was so cheesy sometimes but he was right. Just because she loved him that didn't make her weak, in some ways she felt stronger now than she ever had. He smiled back at her completely unaware that he had given her a piece of advice that would help her through the rest of her life.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning in further towards him until her forehead was touching his. She pressed her lips to his again, no longer caring if anyone saw, feeling empowered by the realization that love didn't make her weak. Whatever they had to face from now on they would face it together. That made her stronger than she could ever be on her own.

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Switch was sat in the mess hall, shoving the contents in her bowl around with a spoon. She wasn't overly hungry. You had to be practically starving to find the idea of eating very appealing. Trinity was sat next to her, slumped over the table, her head resting in her hands. She had just come off shift and really should have headed straight to bed. Apoc was sat across from them, a sleepy smile still on his face. They had come into the hall together to eat as they had missed dinner when they were talking in her room. She blushed slightly remembering what had happened before; they had done a bit more than talking. Nothing serious, they hadn't gone any further than kissing but it still felt strange to her. The fact that they had been kissing just a few moments ago and now things had gone back to normal, everyone else completely oblivious to what they had been doing. It would take her a while to get used to this.

Trinity's arms gave out and her body swayed over, leaning onto Switch's shoulder, fast asleep.

Apoc looked up, a sympathetic smile on his face.

"She's exhausted." he whispered, so as not to wake her.

"She's been taking more shifts. Relieving anyone who will let her." Switch added, concerned for her friend.

"I told her straight out to go to bed last night when she tired to stay on for my shift." Apoc replied.

"I don't see the appeal of being on lookout." she mused; bewildered by the way Trinity had been acting.

"It's not like she has family to watch." Apoc noted.

Switch looked down at Trinity, her body looked even thinner than normal, her frail body moving slightly with each breath she took. It was unnerving to see the strongest woman Switch knew looking so vulnerable. She needed to get some rest.

"Help me carry her." Switch asked. "She need's to sleep."

Apoc nodded, standing up and walking around the table to stand next to them. Switch supported Trinity's head while Apoc wrapped his arms around her, hauling her off the bench and holding her bridal style. Switch trailed behind them, carrying Trinity's unfinished dinner.

They walked quietly along the hall. Trinity didn't stir once; she must be truly exhausted. Had she been awake she would have never allowed herself to be carried.

As they reached Trinity's room Switch gently opened the door for Apoc who crept into the room, placing Trinity down on her bed while Switch balanced her bowl of food on a nearby cabinet. Apoc quietly left the room so Switch could make her more comfortable. Once he was gone she carefully took her boots off and covered her with a blanket; she looked comfortable enough. She turned to leave, looking back only when she reached the doorframe, a smile creeping onto her face when she saw her friends peacefully sleeping form.

Quietly closing the door behind her she looked to Apoc who was standing beside her in the hall. Giving him a small smile they slowly ambled back to the mess hall, neither in any rush to actually get there.

Walking back into the brightly lit mess hall made Switch squint slightly after having been in the dimly lit corridor. Taking her seat again on the cold metal bench she looked down at her untouched dinner. She shoved the bowl away form her, unable to bring herself to eat any of it.

"Not hungry?" Apoc asked, a teasing tone in his voice.

"Not starving." she countered.

"That's true. You have to be pretty hungry to _want_ to eat this stuff." he agreed, filling his spoon with the slop, tipping it, and watching it pour back down into the bowl.

"Do I hear you mocking my brothers food?" Tank called as he entered the mess hall. "You better not let him catch you saying that!" he teased, his cheerful laugh filling the hall.

Switch's eyes flicked over to him. He almost jumped when he saw her. They hadn't seen each other since she had run off.

"Can you honestly say you enjoy it?" Switch chuckled, trying to act as though nothing had happened between them.

Tank uncharacteristically stayed quiet.

"Can you?" she pressed, a smug smile growing on her face.

He shook his head, looking uncomfortable.

The room fell silence, no one sure what to say.

"Tank, I'm sorry about before." Switch finally said, knowing why he was unwilling to talk to her.

"I'm the one who should be sorry." he protested, hesitatively coming over to sit next to Apoc.

When he sat down she looked him in the eye, giving him a tight smile, trying to reassure him that she wasn't mad at him.

"Don't be. I shouldn't have gotten all worked up like that. I know you were only teasing." she said, being overly kind. She wanted to just get this over with, things needed to go back to normal between them.

"Well I may have taken it a bit too far though, and you had hit your head pretty badly…" he replied, a grin forming on his face.

"Oh yes, how could I forget that. Highlight of my day." she stated dryly.

Thinking about it now she couldn't believe it had all happened in one day. That made her think back to yesterday, when they had taken Mouse out of the Matrix. She realized she hadn't even given a thought to the new crewmember still with Morpheus and Dozer in the med bay. She felt rather selfish, having been too involved in her own personal dramas to even consider anyone else.

"Let's just put it behind us. There are more important things to worry about." Switch suggested, trying to change the topic.

"Right you are. Apoc, you're actually meant to be on lookout now." Tank said, nudging Apoc.

"Ugh." Apoc groaned standing to his feet. "See you later then."

Walking from the room, he stopped at the door to wave to them. Switch gave him a quick wave and Tank nodded his head in recognition.

They both sat in silence; they should really be headed to bed. Switch was on shift next and would need her sleep but neither had any intentions of moving any time soon.

"What time is it anyway?" Switch asked, her voice soundly slightly slurred even to her own ears.

"Just after nine." Tank stated, slumping over the table, his head supported by his hands and his elbows pressing into the table.

Switch sighed, copying his position. "I'm on lookout at twelve." she grumbled.

"You should really get some sleep then." he suggested, looking like he was the one who needed to sleep.

"Mmm, I should, shouldn't I…" she mumbled, closing her eyes.

She was a little uncomfortable but too tired to care, all the energy suddenly fading from her after the busy day. She started felling drowsy, her mind fuzzing over, taking away all rational thought. This reminded her of her life in the Matrix, all the nights she had slept just like this, hunched over her old computer. It was oddly calming to her, the familiar position and the rhythmic sound of Tank's heavy breathing…

Her eyes snapped open at the sound of heavy work boots thudding against the ground. Looking up she saw the blurry outline of Morpheus and Dozer. Sitting up she quickly rubbed her eyes, blinking quickly to regain her normal clear vision.

"Sorry to wake you." Dozer whispered, smiling kindly at her.

"I hadn't realized I'd fallen asleep." she replied quietly.

"You had really ought to go to bed." Morpheus advised as he took a seat next to Tank who was still fast asleep.

Morpheus looked exhausted, barely able to keep his eyes open as he slowly ate through his evening meal.

Dozer came and sat next to her, looking equally as tired.

"I wonder how long I was asleep for." Switch asked absentmindedly.

"Its almost eleven." Dozer replied softly, not wanting to wake his brother.

Switch let out a small sigh, there was no point going to bed, she was scheduled on for her shift in just over an hour.

Morpheus and Dozer finished eating in silence, too tired to make conversation. Switch slowly started feeling more awake and remembered that they would have been with Mouse. She didn't want to press for too much information, given their exhausted state but she was curious to know how he was doing.

"How is he?" she asked gently.

"Mouse is doing well." Morpheus began, nodding his head. "He's been sedated so he shouldn't wake till morning. We will know more about how he's doing then, but so far he has been responsive to treatment and his body is starting to strengthen and heal nicely." Morpheus explained.

"That's great." Switch smiled, pleased that he was doing okay.

"Well I sure as hell won't need any sedatives to sleep till morning." Dozer chuckled, as he hauled himself up from the table. Standing to his feet he took his and Morpheus' bowls to the sink, returning to the table empty handed.

Morpheus also got to his feet, glancing over at Tank. As if by some unsaid agreement the both moved to stand on either side of Tank, each wrapping an arm under his shoulders, helping him to his feet. Tank stirred but only just enough to move his feet as the two men guided him from the mess hall. Switch remained seated, listened to their retreating footsteps and the familiar sounds of their doors closing.

Looking round the now empty room she realized that over the course of the last month she had made so many memories in this simple mess hall. The room was nothing special. Consisting of one table with two benches, a sink bolted to the wall, and two glass pipes above the bench storing the crew's food supply. All inside a small, cold, metal lined hall that provided the very basic food needs for human survival. But this room was more than that to her; it was a place where she felt like she belonged, it felt like home to her, more than any other place on the ship. She remembered the very first time she had met the crew, right here at this table, how she had been afraid at first but slowly began to trust them. She remembered long nights sat talking with Trinity about everything and anything they could think of. Nights laughing and joking with Tank and Dozer. Nights playing cards with all them together when even Cypher joined in. Nights spent with Apoc where just being in his company was enough. There was another memory she had here too, one that she would remember for a long time. Kissing Apoc for the first time. This place was special; she would be content to eat here for the rest of her life. Definitely not because of the food but because of the memories she had here. It was rather odd when she thought about it but she really did like this room.

She didn't have long left till her shift and if she went now she could talk to Apoc before she sent him off to bed. Needing no more reason than that she pulled herself up off the bench and went out to the core, heading straight for the monitors that were running the Matrix coding.

Walking up behind Apoc she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, placing a light kiss on his check.

"Hey." he mumbled, squeezing her arms that were wrapped around him. "What are you doing up? I'm still on for another hour."

"I haven't actually been to bed yet. I kinda fell asleep in the mess hall." she replied with a soft chuckle.

"_Switch,_ you need to sleep. Go now, I'll take your shift." he offered, twisting his neck round to look at her.

"No." she replied firmly. "You've done your shift. Go get some sleep yourself, you look exhausted." she insisted.

"Well, I've still got an hour left…" he protested.

"We don't need two people on shift." she retorted, knowing she had a valid point.

He made no movement or attempt to keep arguing with her, simply remaining silent.

"You. Bed. Now." she demanded, pointing towards the door.

He sighed, standing to his feet, looking defeated.

"Good." she sighed, giving him a smile.

He stood next to her and reached out to pull her into a hug, which she gladly returned. Her mind suddenly rushed back to when they were in her room early. She wished she was going back to his room with him…

Apoc pulled back enough to look at her, looking at her in concern. He opened his mouth to say something.

"Don't bother trying to argue with me, you're going to bed now. You are beyond exhausted; I can see it in your eyes." she stated, her voice still demanding but softer than before.

Apoc only smiled, pulling her closer to him, placing a kiss on her forehead before letting her go. Shaking his head softly, he gave her one last parting smile before he turned on his heel and wandered off towards his room.

Once his figure had disappeared off into the corridor Switch sat down in front of the monitor, making herself comfortable in the worn old chair. It was going to a long night. She knew she wouldn't have the heart to wake any of them from their desperately needed sleep.

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Switch furiously blinked her stinging eyes; she had been looking at the monitors for too long, it had to be around eight by now. She had been on lookout all night and it was starting to show. Her eyelids felt heavy and her back ached from sitting for so long. No one had woken up yet and she was starting to wish that someone would. She needed to sleep, and soon, or she would well and truly ruin her already non-existent sleeping pattern.

She let out a sigh of relief when she heard a set of footsteps walking towards her only a few moments later. Spinning round she saw Trinity wandering over to her.

"Hey Trin!" Switch called to her, giving her a quick wave.

"Hey." she replied, coming to stand beside her, "How are you?" she asked.

"Exhausted. I've been up all night…" Switch mumbled, rubbing her eyes.

"What? Why didn't you wake-" she began, cutting off mid sentence.

"How _did_ I end up in my room…I don't remember…I was in the mess hall…" she thought out loud, her brows fusing together in confusion.

Switch smiled, sniggering quietly.

"You fell asleep at the table, Apoc and me moved you." she explained.

Trinity groaned, hiding her face in her hands, shaking her head in embarrassment.

"Don't worry." Switch assured her, patting her back. "Only Apoc and me saw." she added, giving her a small smile.

Trinity looked back at her, a smile forming as she removed her hands from her face.

"I'll take over now, you should go get some rest." Trinity suggested.

Switch nodded, standing to her feet and pulling the communicator off her head. Trinity took her place and Switch gave her a quick hug around the shoulders before wandering off towards her room. Stumbling along the corridor she pulled her door open and collapsed onto her bed, asleep before her head hit the pillow.

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Okay another chapter finished! It may be pretty obvious that I'm slightly obsessed with the mess hall on the Neb, sorry if I write too much about it… hehehe… anyway next chapter Mouse will be introduced, I'm so excited to write him! Thanks so much for reading and please leave me a comment! I would love to hear what you have to say (positive or negative).

Lots of love xx


	6. The Introduction

Authors Note: Hey everyone! So here's the next chapter, this one may be deemed by some as deserving of an 'M' rating as there is some swearing (not much) and some slightly suggestive content. Just a warning for any younger readers, anyway hope you enjoy! :) xx

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Switch shuffled in her bed, slowly waking up, a smile forming on her face. She opened her eyes and looked up at the metal framing on the roof. She lay there for a few moments, actually feeling rested for the first time in days. There was something incredibly satisfying about having had an undisturbed rest. Sitting up in her bed she looked down and noticed that she was still fully dressed. She had been too tired to change into the undershirt and shorts she usually reserved for sleeping. Her clothes were looking rather dirty so she pulled herself out of bed and went to look in her room's single cabinet. Opening the draw she looked through the clothes she had been given, she had another woolen jumper similar to the one she wore now and two undershirts, one with short sleeves and one which was long sleeved in a dark blue colour that was actually rather pretty for the standard of dress on board the ship. There were also a few pairs of socks and undergarments along with another pair of jeans that looked almost the right size for her, unlike the oversized ones she wore now. Picking up a change of clothes and the standard hygiene essentials she had been issued with she quietly crept from her room towards the shared bathroom. Wandering down the hall, away from the main deck, she stopped outside the last room of the corridor where the crew's dormitories where located. Pulling open the metal door she walking in, locking it behind her. The washroom was rather small and was combined with the laundry but it had everything they needed.

She set out first to clean her clothes; they had gotten to be rather filthy over the past weeks. Turning on the tap she filled the washbasin with cold water before shedding her clothes and putting them in to soak. Walking over to the small cupboard she took out a towel and stepped into the shower. Pulling the leaver a faucet of cold water met her skin. She was grateful for the cold water but knew she couldn't take long. Picking up her block of soap she quickly scrubbed her skin and hair, rinsing it out thoroughly before turning off the water. Stepping out of the shower she pulled the towel around herself, feeling much better now that she was clean. She didn't get to shower as often as she liked anymore but she still maintained a level of hygiene. Her and Trinity more than the others, but she put that down to being female. Toweling dry the short shock of white hair that had started to grow back, her eyes locked onto the hideous red and green beany she had been wearing. Apoc had given it to her the first day she woke up and she had been wearing it ever since, having no reason not to. But now that she thought about it, she didn't really have to keep wearing it anymore. Once her skin was dry she reached out for her clothes. She had chosen to wear the long sleeved navy skivvy with the more fitted pants. She didn't really know why she had picked the nicest clothes she had. But she thought she might as well wear them, now was as good a time as any. Pulling them on she noticed that you could actually see her figure, unlike the clothes she had bean wearing which had been more like sacks on her. She stepped into her boots, clipped them up and reached for her beany. Holding the soft red and green fabric she realized that it was rather dirty too, so she added it to the other clothes soaking along with the towel. Picking up her toothbrush she started brushing her teeth. There was a small basin in the washroom but no mirror; in fact there were no mirrors at all on the ship. Switch was actually rather pleased about that. She honestly couldn't care less what she looked like. But however much she claimed she didn't care she had to admit it would be nice to see her _real_ face at least once. Finishing up her morning routine she walked back over to the washbasin. She emptied the water, wrung out her clothes, and hung them up on the shower rail to dry. Checking over the room to ensure she had left it decent condition she collected her belongings and made her way back to her room.

When back in her room she only stayed for a few moments, stowing away her soap and toothbrush in the small cabinet and insuring that her clothing was in order before heading out to the mess hall.

She felt a sense of confidence as she walked into the hall, feeling much better after a decent sleep, shower and change of clothes. Her hand had almost completely healed now. She still had it wrapped up but it no longer needed to be tapped into place so she could move it freely. Her hair was also showing making her feel more like herself and less like the shy girl that she had been feeling like. Turning round the corner she saw Dozer on the main bridge, sat in front of the monitors on lookout. He looked up when he heard her come in. She gave him a warm smile as she past him, which he returned looking slightly surprised. Strolling into the mess hall she saw almost everyone sat around the table eating what she assumed was lunch, everyone except Morpheus.

"Hey!" Tank called when he saw her.

"Afternoon." she replied, walking further into the room.

Taking out a bowl she served herself up some lunch, taking the _very _appetizing bowl of slop over to the table with her. Swinging her legs over the bench she slid into the space between Apoc and Cypher.

"So, did you enjoy sleeping in all morning?" Cypher asked, not as sharply as he normally did.

She laughed awkwardly. "Not really. I feel great after a good rest but its put my sleep pattern a little out of whack." she explained.

"I don't think a normal sleep pattern exists on this ship." Tank muttered.

"You can say that again." Trinity mumbled with a soft laugh.

"So." Apoc said, turning to look at her. "Stayed up all night did we?" he asked.

"Yea…" she trailed off, not sure if he was particularly happy about her having done that.

"Thank you for that. We own you one." Trinity cut in, stopping Apoc from saying anymore about the matter.

"Thank _you_ for letting me sleep-in all morning." Switch replied.

"No worries." Trinity beamed, locking eyes with her for a moment before turning back to the food in front of her.

They all continued eating without further discussion. Switch managed to eat the entire bowl, quiet an achievement for her. Pushing the finished bowl away from her she looked up to see Trinity and Tank staring at her. Confused by what they were staring at she lifted a fine eyebrow in questioning.

"I like your hair." Tank stated out of the blue. "It suits you." he added, smiling warmly at her.

Switch smiled, surprised that he had even noticed.

"Thank you." she mumbled, feeling rather flattered.

"You _have_ made quiet the effort today haven't you," Trinity noted, looking her up and down, "I see you found the blue top I put in your room. I thought it would look good on you, and it does."

Switch grinned at her. "You have good taste, I really like it." she agreed.

"You look very nice." Apoc added, giving her a smile that made her blush slightly.

"Ugh." Cypher groaned, rolling his eyes at them. "One girl was alright but _two_ of them…. that's when they get annoying. Talking girly shit and making a drama over everything. Honestly who gives a rats what we wear? We didn't until she came along." he muttered sullenly.

"Hey, Tank started it!" Switch protested, dramatically pointing at Tank, trying to make a joke out of Cypher's comment.

"What?" Tank cried, holding his hands up in mock surrender.

Trinity and Apoc couldn't help but laugh at their dramatic scene but Trinity quickly composed herself and narrowed her eyes at Cypher.

"If you've got a problem Cypher you can take it to Morpheus but last I heard there was nothing in the code of conduct against being female or wearing nice clothes." Trinity snapped, staring him down.

Cypher looked down at his food, mumbling something inaudible.

"Something to say?" Trinity asked sharply.

"Oh come on Trin. You have to admit this isn't exactly the right kind of work for a woman, your different, but her…" he trailed off, looking sideways at Switch.

"What the hell Cypher? She's more than proved she is just as capable as anyone else on this ship! Being a woman doesn't change anything!" Trinity roared, flaring up instantly at his comment. Switch was only sat next to Cypher but she still felt herself shrink under Trinity's fierce glare.

"Yeah, sure… just yesterday she was off crying about something. She's _more_ than distracted Apoc from his duties and she's now blabbing away about clothes and lets not even mention the fact that she can't work a _day_ in the engine room without needing to go the med bay for some pitiful injury." Cypher protested, staring back at Trinity just as viciously.

Switch felt her small spark of confidence sink. Hearing Cypher put it like that she realized she was rather pathetic. Everything he said was true, she just wasn't as strong or able as the others.

"_Excuse_ me?" Apoc yelled, turning to scowl across her at Cypher.

"You better shut the hell up Cypher." Tank warned, also glowering at him.

"The fact that you can even say that is so hypocritical. _You_ handled the transition into this life worse than anyone else; she's done amazingly well compared to you. And as for working on this ship, she does _everything_ you do and she does it without complaining about every goddamn thing. We all struggled for the first few months, you're just taking a dig at her because she's female." Trinity snapped, her voice rising with each word until she was practically shouting.

Cypher lowered his head, not able to meet Trinity's eye. He pretended to be suddenly interested in eating and refused to make any further comment.

Switch cautiously looked round the table, seeing if anyone else was concerned about the sudden hostility between Trinity and Cypher. Tank had gone back to shoveling down his lunch. It still amazed her how he managed to consume that much of the stuff without gaging. Trinity and Apoc had resumed eating in silence while Cypher pushed his food around with his spoon, looking rather put out. She honestly felt a little hurt that he thought that way about her. She hadn't realized he disliked her that much. She had just assumed he was like that with everyone. But regardless of what he said she couldn't help but feel bad for Cypher. No one particularly like him, herself included. He was difficult to get along with and was always brooding about something. His temperament made him difficult to live with so he was generally avoided. He brought it on himself really but Switch could understand that resentment was hard to overcome and Cypher had made it clear that he hated this life. She could, in a way, see where he was coming from. This life would be almost unlivable if it weren't for the friendships she had formed.

Switch tried to forget about Cypher, she didn't want to think about him and instead looked across at Trinity and Tank. She felt slightly better knowing that they disagreed with him. They had defended her and for that she was grateful. Apoc was sat beside her, he looked pissed about Cyphers comment and she was worried about what had annoyed him. She hoped it wasn't because of everyone knowing about them.

The table had fallen into an awkward silence that no one had been willing to break. No one made any move to leave even though Tank, Apoc and herself had all finished eating. It was as though no one dared move incase it set Trinity or Cypher off again. Switch didn't know what to do so she followed suit, staying seated and remaining silent.

The sound of Morpheus clearing his throat made her spin around in her seat, she didn't remember ever being this relieved to see him before.

"Everyone." Morpheus began, gaining the attention of everyone at the table. "I would like you all to meet the newest member of our team, Mouse." he said, stepping to the side to reveal a timid looking figure behind him.

Mouse made no move to enter the room, his eyes darting around the room, looking a little scared. Morpheus ushered him forward and he took a hesitative step into the room. Morpheus decided to lead by example and strode over to the table to take a seat next to Apoc, gesturing for Mouse to do the same. Trinity and Tank both shuffled to the opposite ends of the bench, making room for him. Mouse quickly crept over and sat down between them, looking round the table with unhidden interest. Switch was thankful that Morpheus hadn't entered the room just a few moments ago, if Mouse had heard them arguing like that they defiantly wouldn't have given him a very good first impression.

"This." Morpheus said, gesturing to the others around the table. "Is the full crew of the Nebuchadnezzar. Including Dozer who you met out on the main bridge just before." Morpheus explained.

Mouse nodded, still looking a little confused.

"This is Apoc." Morpheus said, placing his hand on Apoc's shoulder.

"Hey, I remember you from before!" Mouse cried suddenly, giving Apoc a friendly grin.

"I remember you too bud, we met back in the Matrix." Apoc confirmed, returning his smile.

Mouse's eyes moved on to Switch, he looked her over warily.

"I'm Switch." she clarified, giving him a welcoming smile. She knew that a friendly face would mean a lot to him in the position he was in now.

"The names Cypher." Cypher stated, giving Mouse a small nod in recognition.

"I'm Tank." Tank said, holding out his hand to Mouse. "It's great to have you on board."

Mouse shook his hand, the smile on his face reaching his eyes. Tank had a way with people and always managed to make you feel welcome. She remembered back to the first time she met him and feeling the same way.

"And I'm Trinity." Trinity added.

Mouse turned to look at her, his eyes widening in surprise when he took a good look at her. He was obviously stunned by how strikingly beautiful she was. It was rather comical to see him so flabbergasted over her. He didn't look like the kind of person who would often find himself seated next to a woman as beautiful as Trinity.

"Well, that's us." Morpheus stated. "I know this must be strange for you but I promise I will explain everything to you. But I can't do that here. You have to trust me, Mouse." Morpheus assured him, smiling at him.

Mouse nodded, looking slightly worried as he nervously chewed on his nails.

"Come with me." Morpheus instructed, standing to his feet.

Mouse hauled himself up and almost tripped over the bench as he stepped over it. Trinity automatically reached out to stabilise him. One hand under his elbow and the other on his back, stopping him from falling over.

"Thanks." Mouse mumbled, gaining his balance and turning to look at her.

"No worries." Trinity replied, letting go of him.

Mouse had turned bright red at her touch and quickly dashed from the room after Morpheus, looking a little embarrassed.

Switch looked at Trinity who was still starring after Mouse, a small smile on her face.

"I like him." Trinity stated suddenly as she turned back to face them.

"Got a crush have we?" Tank teased, nudging her in the side.

"A little young for you, don't you think Trin…" Apoc trailed off, giving her a knowing look.

"Oh shut up." Trinity laughed, rolling her eyes at them. "He's like the little brother I never had. He seems like a sweet kid." she clarified.

"Uh-huh." Tank nodded, winking at her as he stood to his feet. "I've gotta get out there and help Dozer with that 'sweet kid'. He's got a lot of programs to go through." Tank explained as he left the room.

After he left Switch looked to Apoc, unsure what they were supposed to do now.

"They'll be spending the next hour or so with him so we've got some time to kill." Apoc said, knowing from her expression what she was curious about.

"Actually we don't." Trinity cut in, looking slightly sad to break it to them. "I was down in the engine room before and the piping on the boiler has burst. So there won't be any hot water till we fix it." she explained.

So that's why her shower was cold this morning. The water supply was sketchy at the best of times but with the pipes broken there wasn't even a chance of hot water.

"We better get to that then." Switch suggested.

Trinity nodded and jumped to her feet. Apoc hauled himself off the bench and offered his hand to Switch, which she took gladly, ignoring the gaging sound Cypher made behind her. The four of them left the mess hall in silence, making their way down to the engine room. Once they arrived they got straight to work. There was still an awkwardness between them after the argument at the table. Apoc kept shooting Cypher dirty looks and Trinity was pretending as though Cypher wasn't there at all. Switch felt caught in the middle of it all and didn't have a clue how she could fix this. The little spat she had with Tank was fixed easily but Trinity and Cypher had much stronger personalities. Trinity breezed straight past Cypher not looking at him and giving Switch an exaggerated smile as she past her, to emphasize her point. Cypher followed after her regardless, much to Trinity's obvious irritation.

This was going to be difficult.

"Hey Switch, come here a minute." Apoc called, beckoning her over.

Switch scuttled over to him, eager to get away from Cypher and start doing something. Apoc was lying on his back, his head and shoulders hidden under the huge pipe that connected to the boiler. She couldn't help but look at his body, the way the muscles in his arms tensed while he gripped the metal piping, his chest moving with every breath he took. She quickly pulled her eyes away before she allowed them to wander any further.

"Yeah?" she asked, trying to sound casual.

"Can you pass me that weld over there?" he asked.

"Sure thing." Switch agreed, dashing over to grab the tool.

Coming back over she knelt down beside him, handing it to him.

"Thanks Hun, we just have to wait till Trin gets back with the metal to cover this up." Apoc said, sliding himself out from under the pipe to look at her.

Switch nodded, giving him a smile. He sat up next to her and leaned back on the pipe. Switch's eyes followed his movement until she looked at his face, laughing when she saw him.

"What?" he asked in confusion.

"Nothing." she giggled, softly shaking her head.

She moved to kneel in front of him, one knee on either side of his legs. His eyes widened in surprise when she seated herself on top of him. She blushed slightly, realizing that their positioning was extremely intimate.

"You've got dirt on your face." she mumbled, explaining her actions.

Pulling the edge of her sleeve over her thumb she reached out to rub the side of his face clean.

Removing her hand from her sleeve she placed it on his face, gently rubbing his cheek. He sighed under her touch, closing his eyes. She shuffled forwards, closing any gap between them. His hands moved to her hips, his fingers toying with the hem of her shirt.

"Switch." he murmured, pressing his forehead against hers.

"Mmm?" she asked, taking in a deep shaky breath.

"You have no idea what seeing you like this does to me." he muttered.

"Like what?" she asked, a small smile forming on her face.

"You know what. You dressed like this on purpose, back in the mess hall was practically torture for me." he replied, his hands slowly running up her sides.

She shuddered as his hands skimmed across her skin, covered only by the thin skivvy. A blush crept onto her face wondering what exactly he meant by that. She moved her lips closer to his until they were almost touching; inhaling his scent she closed her eyes as she pressed her lips to his. Their lips moved together and her body pressed into his, she let go of everything, forgetting where she was, what she was supposed to be doing, not caring about anything.

"Okay I found the perfect metal, it just needs to be cut down- " Trinity called as she walked round the boiler towards them, freezing when she saw them.

Switch pulled herself of Apoc and stood up as though nothing had happened. Trinity's jaw dropped as she looked at Switch then down at Apoc then back at Switch. She stood there for a moment, mouth open and eyes wide, before she shook her head and pulled herself together.

"Anyway…" she started, pretending she hadn't just witnessed two of her friends passionately making out. "I just need to cut this metal down and we'll be good to go."

Apoc nodded to her as she dashed off towards the back bench to cut down the sheet of metal she was holding. Switch smiled sheepishly down at Apoc who grinned back cheekily at her.

"We'll have to finish _that _later…" he suggested, giving her a wink.

She laughed and rolled her eyes at him. "Will we now?" she teased, nudging him with her boot.

"Uh-huh." he nodded, as she came to stand over him, his eyes roaming over her body.

"Seriously guys, you need to understand the meaning of personal space." Trinity snickered as she came up behind them.

"Sorry, Trin." Apoc laughed, as she handed him the piece of metal. Picking up the weld he shuffled back under the pipe and got to work welding together the metals to cover the hole that had torn through the piping.

With Apoc out of sight Trinity gave Switch a knowing look. Switch smiled nervously at her. Trinity just shook her head, finding the whole situation funny and successfully making things awkward for Switch.

"Sorry you had to see that." Switch whispered, knowing that Apoc couldn't hear her over the sound of the weld.

"Don't worry about it. You're just lucky it was me or else it would have been the discussion of dinner this evening. Had it been Tank you'd never hear the end of it…" she trailed off.

Switch nodded in agreement, Tank would have been the worst. Suddenly she remembered Cypher, where had he gone? Him seeing them would be _far_ worse than anyone else, even Tank.

"Shit, where's Cypher?" she asked, trying not to sound to worried.

"He came with me to get the metal then stayed in the core with the others." Trinity explained.

Switch sighed in relief.

"Yeah. If Cypher had still been with me he would have had a fieldtrip especially after this morning." Trinity added, giving Switch a mock stern look.

"Sorry about it." Switch muttered. "He can think whatever he likes, I'm beyond caring. I won't let our relationship interfere with my duties but I'm not going to ignore my feelings just because of what he thinks."

"Too true." Trinity agreed. "I'd just keep the public displays of affection to a minimum if I were you…" she added, giving Switch a smug smile.

Switch laughed and nodded in understanding, she _had_ gotten a little carried away before.

"Okay, all fixed." Apoc called as he turned the weld off. Sliding out from under the piping he stood to his feet, pulling a pair of safety goggles off his head. Where the glasses had been his skin was clean but the rest of his face was covered in black soot. Both girls giggled at his appearance.

"Good job." Switch laughed, giving him a smile.

"You're filthy though. Go take a shower, if you go now the water will probably be warn." Trinity suggested, once she stopped laughing.

Apoc smiled at them and nodded, placing down the goggles and weld before making his way from the room.

"So what now?" Switch asked once he had left.

"Actually I think I might go get my stuff and go have a shower after him. It's not often that we get hot water." Trinity replied, looking a little excited.

Switch nodded and gave her a smile. It was the little things that meant a lot in this world, a hot shower for instance, having a good laugh or even just a smile could make this dull existence a bit brighter.

They made their way back towards the exit, climbing up the ladder onto the main bridge. Looking round as she stood on the main living level she saw Morpheus and Mouse still jacked into the training program while Tank, Dozer and Cypher all stood at the monitors watching them. No one was in the mess hall or med bay off to the sides of the room. Straight ahead of them on the other side of the core were the dormitories and the washroom where Apoc would be now. Trinity walked over to the monitors to look at what was going on, Switch trailing behind her. Switch stood on her tiptoes and tried to peer over their shoulders to get a look at the screen but Trinity put her hand on her shoulder and held her down, leading her from the room.

"Come on, you don't need to watch that again." Trinity explained as they wandered down the corridor, Trinity's arm still around Switch's shoulder.

She knew what Trinity meant; you didn't need to be constantly reminded of the harshness of reality. It was a fact that she had accepted but when on the ship it was easy to forget about the world beyond these metal walls. As they walked past each dorm room she mentally noted whose room was whose, trying to change her train of thought. The first room on the right was empty and the one opposite belonged to Morpheus. She assumed Mouse would be put in the empty room, which was next to hers. Opposite her room was Cypher's. The next room along on the left side was Apoc's. At the end of the hall was Tank and Dozer's room. Across from their room on the right was the washroom and next to that was Trinity's room. The rooms were all very close together and though the walls were metal they weren't particularly sound proof. The only room with a lock was the washroom, for safety reasons. She could understand why this was but it still caused a sense of unease when in her room. Knowing that anyone could come in at any moment. Especially when she thought about the possibility of Apoc being in her room again.

Now that Mouse had been unplugged there were no spare room's left, the only 'space' as such was the double bed in Morpheus room. His room was the only one that was different from the other standard rooms, except for Tank and Dozer's, which had two single beds in it. She could just imagine another crewmember being unplugged and them having to share a room with Morpheus. The mental image was slightly disturbing.

"Ooh, we had better sort out some supplies for Mouse's room." Trinity said suddenly, remembering that no one had prepared his room yet.

"Right." Switch nodded, pulling out of her strange thoughts.

They strode down the hall and Trinity pulled open the cupboard that was built into the back wall of the corridor. Looking over the shelves she reached up to the top shelf and pulled down a box. She took out a block of soap, a toothbrush and a razor and handed then to Switch. Putting the box back her eyes scanned over the other shelves.

"Okay, now clothes…" she mused, eyes locking on a crumpled cardboard box.

Rummaging through the box of clothes she pulled out a pair of dark jeans and held them up to herself, they looked about four sizes to big for her.

"Think these will fit him?" she asked, looking at Switch in questioning.

Switch nodded. "It doesn't really matter, nothing fits properly anyway." she replied.

"True." Trinity agreed, looking down at the oversized light blue jumper and undershirt she wore.

She put the jeans in Switch's open arms and began searching through the box again. A moment later she triumphantly held up a dark grey sweatshirt and two undershirts.

"Perfect." she exclaimed, handing them to Switch.

Looking though the box again she pulled out several pairs of socks and undergarments, putting them into Switch's now overloaded arms. She turned back to look over the contents of the cupboard.

"I think that's everything." she mumbled to herself as she closed the doors.

Turning to look at Switch she saw her struggling to hold all of Mouse's new belongings.

"Oh sorry, here give me some of those." she offered, taking half of the clothes off her.

Switch smiled at her as they made their way back down the hall to Mouse's room. Opening the door to his room Switch saw that the room was identical to hers, they walked over to the small cabinet and Switch held out her arms to take back to clothes Trinity was holding. Trinity discarded the clothing into Switch's arms and knelt down beside the cabinet and started taking piece by piece off Switch and filling the cabinet with the clothes and toiletries they had picked out. Once everything was neatly stowed away Trinity stood to her feet and smiled at Switch.

"Well that's everything." Trinity noted, turning to leave the room. "I'm going to see if Apoc's finished yet." she added as she walked out of the room.

Switch nodded, following her out. She tried not to show her excitement. Trinity would be in shower and everyone else was out on the main deck with Mouse so she would finally get a few moments actually alone with Apoc. As they walked down the hall to Trinity's room Apoc had just left the washroom and grinned when he saw them.

"Hey, the waters still warm. Don't worry I was quick. But you better move. You know how temperamental it is." Apoc said to Trinity as they reached him.

"Yes!" Trinity beamed as she rushed to her room; kicking the door open, grabbing her things, and tearing back out into the hall. "See you all in a few minutes." she called as she scrambled down the hall into the washroom.

Switch chucked at Trinity's excitement, it was nice to see her friend so happy. Her eyes flicked to Apoc who was standing beside her, off to the side. His hair was still wet and his sleeveless undershirt clung to him slightly. She knew she was staring but couldn't help herself, she had never seen this much of him before. He shuffled awkwardly under her gaze.

"Sorry," she mumbled, looking away.

"No, its fine." he blurted out, automatically reaching out to her.

Switch smiled and took his hand.

"Come with me." Apoc asked, leading her into his room. Shutting the door behind them he turned to look at her.

Switch was stood beside him, a small smile still on her lips. Apoc weaved his arms around her waist, pulling her towards him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Finally, some privacy." she sighed against his skin.

"God, I wish it could last." he muttered, giving her a tight squeeze.

"At least we have a few moments." she prompted, lifting her head to look at him.

A grin spread across his face at her words, they were far too enticing.

"Mmm." he nodded, his hands reaching down to grip the back of her thighs, lifting her legs up and wrapping them around his waist.

"Apoc!" she almost squealed in surprise. Her heart pounding in her chest as she felt herself flush up against him.

He only chuckled and walked over to bed sitting down with her in his lap. She felt her breathing grow heavier and her body was shaking slightly. Apoc stopped suddenly, noticing her nervousness. His hands went to her shoulders and he gently ran his hands up and down her arms soothingly.

"Switch, are you okay? I didn't mean to go to far, I'm…" he began, concern clear in his voice.

"Shh." Switch cut in, silencing him. Apoc was always so strong and confident but when it came to this he was shy and uncertain of himself. She needed to prove to him that she did want this; she just wasn't the best at showing it.

"I love you." she stated simply. She knew that sentence would be enough to assure him that she did want him, she just wasn't used to this kind of affection.

"Now kiss me you idiot." she teased, pulling him towards her by the rim of his shirt.

He broke out into a smile as their lips met, his hand wrapping round the back of her neck. She moved her head to the side, deepening the kiss and pressing her body up against his. Apoc leaned back, pulling her with him until he was lying on his back with Switch on top of him. He held her desperately close to him, not wanting any space to come between them. She resentfully pulled back for much needed air, her body heaving against his as she tried to catch her breath.

"Damn…" he muttered desirably.

"What?" she asked, confused as to what he meant by that.

"You're hot. Too fucking hot, your slowly driving me insane." he almost groaned.

She turned bright red and hid her face in his shirt; she couldn't believe he had just said that. No one had ever said anything like that to her. Calming herself she lifted her face up to look at him, resting her chin on his chest.

"Oh you think _your_ going insane? God, you walk around looking sexy as hell and I have to _try_ and act normal or else I'll be proving Cypher right." she replied resentfully.

Apoc laughed, rousing her hair. "Sexy huh?" he teased.

She glared at him. "Yes, but don't repeat that to anyone." she warned, a smile still on her lips.

"Don't worry, what goes on between us _stays_ between us." he assured her.

Switch opened her mouth to reply but jumped at the sound of tapping on the door.

"Apoc, you in there?" Trinity's voice asked through the wall.

Apoc gave Switch a longing look as she rolled off him and stood up.

"Yeah, come on in." Apoc called sitting up on the edge of his bed.

The door was pushed open and Trinity peered into the room.

"Oh you're here too." Trinity said when she saw Switch.

Switch nodded, trying not to look guilty.

"I came to tell you Mouse will be awake in a few minutes, they're just about to jack out." Trinity informed them.

"Well we better go meet him then." Apoc suggested as he stood to his feet. Taking Switch's hand in his own they walked from the room, following Trinity back to the main bridge.


	7. The New Kid

Authors Note: Thank you so much to FuturisticDreams, HardfacedQueenofMisadventure and MidnightCoffeeAddict for you lovely reviews, they inspired me to write better! Because of that I felt like the first few chapters of this fanfic weren't the best so I have gone back and re-written them. The story line remains exactly the same (so there is no need to re-read them, however it would be really great if you did!) I just felt like I should have gone into more depth in those chapters! I'm so sorry about that, but looking back on those chapters I realized they needed a lot of work and could be made much better. And as Switch doesn't have many stories written about her I wanted to make this one really good! It would be awesome to know what you think of the new versions! (Was it worth all the hours I spent re-writing them?!) I must also apologize for taking so long to update, I have been putting all my writing time into the old chapters… Anyway here's the next chapter and thank you again for your support it means a lot to me :) xx

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"Just in time!" Tank called as they walked back out onto the main bridge. Trinity, Apoc and Switch quickly rushed over to join the rest of the crew waiting around Morpheus and Mouse's bodies. There was an almost tangible nervousness as the group prepared for however the newcomer was going to react to finding out the truth. Dozer was standing behind Mouse, watching the monitor placed above him, preparing to remove his data probe. Tank was sat in front of the monitors, watching Morpheus and Mouse's digital projections still inside the program.

"Remember we have to be as gentle as possible with him. He's had quiet a shock." Dozer advised as he reached out to remove Mouse's data probe.

Switch remembered when she had woken up from this particular trip. She had rushed to her room, not wanting to speak to anyone. She'd been furious and that anger had led to her fracturing her hand. Looking back now she saw how stupid it was. She just hoped Mouse would let them help him and not react as badly as she did.

Dozer gripped the plug at the back of Mouse's head, pulling it out carefully. Mouse eyes snapped open and he sat up bolt-right in the chair, looking round the room frantically.

Dozer walked over and unplugged Morpheus. The second the probe was removed Morpheus jack-in plug he sat up and looked over at Mouse who was still anxiously looking around the room. Dozer offered his hand to Morpheus, helping him to his feet before he turning back to Mouse. Dozer then held an out stretched hand to Mouse, giving him a reassuring smile. Mouse gladly took his hand and jumped to his feet.

"I know this is a lot to process, and you may need time alone to think but were all here for you if you need to talk further." Morpheus said, attempting to calm him.

Mouse grinned at him, nodding his head vigorously. "This is incredible. I _knew_ there was something wrong with the world, but this… I had no idea. It's ingenious really, how did you guys get out anyway? Ooh, were you around during the war? Are we the only ones out of the Matrix? What are we going to do about the Matrix? Are we gonna get everyone out? I can't even… ugh I want to know _everything."_ Mouse exclaimed, bursting with excitement.

Switch looked at Trinity, raising her eyebrows, she hadn't expected this reaction. Trinity looked back at her, just as surprised.

"Woah, calm down." Cypher laughed, obviously stunned.

"How about something to eat first. We can explain it all to you then?" Morpheus suggested.

Mouse nodded, still looking enthusiastic, beginning to look around for where he should go now. Morpheus placed his hand on Mouse's shoulder, leading him across the main bridge and into the mess hall. The second they started walking towards the mess hall another round of questions came pouring out of Mouse's mouth.

Switch couldn't help but laugh at the way Morpheus was trying to be patient with Mouse while he talked his ear off, asking question after question.

"Should we go with them?" Switch asked, unsure what was normally done in this situation.

"Up to you." Tank replied, not looking up from the monitor.

"But I'm staying here," Dozer added, "I'm not really in the mood for explaining everything all over again."

"Yeah, there are only so many times you can explain the dull details of your existence to someone before it does your head in." Cypher muttered.

"Well I'm going." Trinity stated, turning to follow after them. "Anyone else coming?" she asked.

"Nah, come get me and Dozer if you're going to show him around the ship though." Tank answered, his eyes still glued to the monitors he was watching.

Trinity looked to Switch.

"Sure, I'm in. I'll probably learn some things myself." she laughed, walking over to join Trinity.

Switch looked to Apoc, her eyes begging him to come with her.

"How could I say no to that face?" he chuckled, grinning at her. Striding over to them he linked arms with Switch and Trinity.

Switch shock her head at Apoc's enthusiasm, he was as bad as Mouse. He began walking towards the mess hall, pulling them both along with him. As they entered the room Switch saw Mouse sitting at the table, opposite Morpheus, eating a bowl of food. She walked over to him and took a seat next to him, giving him a warm smile. Apoc came and sat down on the other side of him while Trinity sat down next to Morpheus.

Mouse was playing with his food, running it through his spoon, spinning it round and mushing it into the sides. He didn't look overly impressed with it. She couldn't help but smiling, she now knew what Trinity had found so funny the first time she ate with her. After weeks of eating the stuff you got used to it but seeing someone eat it for the first time you were reminded how unappealing it really was.

"Fascinating…" he mumbled to himself as he observed the food. "What did you say it was made of again?" he asked, looking up at Morpheus.

"I didn't." Morpheus said bluntly.

"Oh.." he mumbled, gulping awkwardly and pushing the bowl away from himself.

"If you want to know about the food you can ask Dozer. He makes it himself." Morpheus explained.

"And he won't let you forget it…" Switch muttered.

"So Mouse. What would you like to know?" Apoc asked, changing the topic and giving Mouse a friendly slap on the back.

It wasn't a good idea to dwell on the food for too long.

"Well." Mouse began, perking up again. "What do we do here on, on what do you call it, the Nebachareria?" he asked.

"The Nebuchadnezzar, we call it the Neb for short." Trinity clarified.

"Before I can explain to you want we do. I will have to explain the resistance to you." Morpheus replied.

"Resistance?" Mouse asked.

"Humans who are not connected to the Matrix and are fighting against the machines." Apoc explained.

"Exactly. Our base is called Zion, the only human city left." Morpheus confirmed.

"Wait there's a city?" Mouse asked, shocked.

Trinity nodded. "Only one. It's down near the earth's core, where it's still warm. Zion's the only place we have left." she explained.

"Zion's where all out supplies come from. Most ejected humans live in Zion, along with all true Zion born children." Morpheus added.

Mouse nodded in understanding, he still looked a little confused though.

"You may even get to go there one day." Apoc said; trying to make sure he stayed positive.

"Really?" Mouse asked eagerly.

"Yes." Morpheus replied, giving Mouse a small smile.

"Now about what we do. We are part of Zion's defense force. Our job is to protect Zion but that's only half of it. We are also part of the ejection team; we locate bluepills, like yourself, and free their minds from the Matrix. We train them up and then take them to Zion where their role in our world is decided." Morpheus explained.

Mouse opened his mouth to say something and Switch looked up in shock.

What? Switch hadn't been paying overly close attention their conversation but Morpheus' last comment caught her attention. They were going to take her to Zion; she wouldn't be able to stay on the ship. She had just assumed she would be staying here. She couldn't breath. She couldn't go live in some city by herself; it would be like going back to her old life. She couldn't go back, not after being on the Neb, this was her home now. Without Trinity or Apoc or the others she wouldn't be able to cope. She had only known them for such a short time but they had permanently changed her. There was no going back from this. She couldn't leave, she wouldn't. She looked over at Apoc; he was untroubled by Morpheus comment, had he known about this the whole time? That she would be leaving as soon as they had finished training her? Was he just using her, just messing with her because he knew she wouldn't be hanging around long. She didn't believe it, he wouldn't do that to her.

"However." Morpheus cut in, stopping Mouse from saying anything and pulling Switch out of her thoughts. "Our ships orders have changed over the past year. We have been searching for the one; I won't go into that now, but because of that we will not be returning to Zion. Instead you have been automatically made a member of the crew and will be assisting us in the locating of the one. We ejected you because we knew you would be useful in our search." Morpheus clarified, answering Mouse's questions before he asked them.

Mouse nodded, looking unsure but understanding what Morpheus meant, he was a part of the crew.

"So I'm part of your team?" Mouse asked, a shy smile on his face.

"Course." Apoc replied, giving him a warm smile.

"Does, does that apply to me too?" Switch mumbled, looking up at Trinity.

"Yeah." Trinity nodded, chuckling slightly and giving Switch a confused smile.

Switch sighed in relief; she shouldn't have jumped to conclusions. She was glad she hadn't said anything; it would have hurt Apoc if he had heard what she was thinking. But she was slightly confused now, they had pulled Mouse out because he would helpful in their search of 'the one', whatever that was, but why had they pulled her out? She didn't have any special talents that the others didn't have.

"Any more questions?" Trinity asked.

Mouse scrunched up his face, thinking. "Ooh, could you show me around the ship?" he asked. "And what did you mean by training?" he added quickly.

"Training," Apoc chuckled, "you'll find out all about that tomorrow. It's a unique experience to say the least."

Mouse looked confused but intrigued, almost unable to sit still.

"How about a tour? Best way to see the ship." Trinity suggested, standing up.

"Sounds great." Mouse replied, jumping to his feet, almost tripping over again.

Switch and Apoc stood to their feet and joined the other two, preparing to leave.

"You three take him, I have to contact Zion and inform them of his arrival to the real world." Morpheus said as he also got to his feet.

Trinity nodded and led the way out of the room.

"Okay." Trinity began as they walked onto the main bridge. "This is the main bridge, or the core. This is where we jack into the Matrix and training programs. We also monitor the coding for the Matrix and look out for sentinels here." she explained, gesturing to the plugins and the monitors Dozer and Tank were still sitting by.

"What a sentinel?" Mouse asked.

"A killing machine that's sole purpose is to search for and destroy any human ship." Trinity replied.

"Sentinels are bad news." Apoc added.

"That's why we all take shifts and insure someone is always on lookout. To watch the Matrix coding for any agents or disturbances in the system, but most importantly to watch for sentinels." Trinity explained.

"What happens if a sentinel finds us?" Mouse asked, a little concerned.

"We hide; power down the ship and play dead. But if we're found we use the EMP, an electro magnetic pulse, it takes out any electrical machine in the radius. But it's not ideal as the EMP can seriously damage the ship." Tank answered, turning away from the monitors.

"Let's hope we don't run into one of those." Mouse said, laughing nervously.

"I'm with you on that." Apoc chuckled.

"Anyway, over here is the med bay." Trinity said, gesturing to the door next to the mess hall. Walking over to the door she held it open for Mouse who quickly dashed into the room.

Switch came in behind Mouse and Apoc, Trinity following in after her.

The room was slightly smaller than the mess hall and had several cabinets bolted to the wall, filled with medical supplies. There were two benches on both of the sidewalls and a metal counter slab in the center that was used as an operating table of sorts. She remembered waking up in this room and the several visits she had her after that, all memories she tried to forget about. She wished she could go back and redo this past month, especially now seeing Mouse standing right beside her, his first day awake and handling everything so well.

"This is where I woke up." Mouse stated as he looked over the familiar room. "I don't have to stay in here again do I?" he asked, looking at Trinity.

"Course not." Trinity laughed, giving him a smile. "Come on, I'll show you to your room now." she said, gesturing for him to follow her out.

Turning around Trinity walked back out onto the main bridge, the others following behind her. Switch trailed behind the others as they made there way over to the dormitories. She realized it would have been a lot less confusing for her if she had just talked with everyone and been shown around instead of fuming in her room on her first day.

"This is your room." Trinity said, as they stopped outside the first room of the corridor.

Mouse pushed the door open and walked into his new room, his eyes flitting around with unhidden curiosity.

"Nice." he mumbled as he wandered around the room, sitting on the bed, looking in the room's cabinet and going through his belongings.

"Everything in here belongs to you while you are serving on the Neb, so you can make yourself at home." Trinity explained, smiling at his enthusiasm.

"This is great. Thank you." Mouse replied, standing in front of them, a grateful smile on his face.

"No worries." Trinity said with a slightly surprised smile. "Now come on there is plenty more to see." she added, turning around to leave the room.

Mouse dashed after her, eagerness radiating off him. Switch looked to Apoc, their eyes meeting for a moment before they walked out after them. The way Mouse was reacting was very unusual.

As they walked out into the corridor Switch saw Trinity standing in front of the door to Morpheus room.

"This corridor is where all are room and the washroom is located. Morpheus is in here." she said explained, tapping the door she was standing in front of. "Cypher is in here." she added, as she moved down the hall to stand in front of the next door.

"Right here we have Apoc." she said, gesturing to the door then to Apoc. "And here we have Tank and Dozer." she continued, tapping the door at the end of the hall.

"Here is were all our supplies from Zion are kept, things like clothes, soap, blankets, that sort of thing." she explained, pointing towards the cupboard bolted to the back wall. "Over here is the washroom." she said, opening the door at the end of the hall, opposite Tank and Dozers room.

Mouse peered into the room, nodding when he saw it was a very basic combined laundry and washroom.

"And right over her is my room." she explained, closing off the washroom and walking over to next door on the wall. Pushing the door open she let Mouse look in. "All the rooms are exactly the same, except for Tank and Dozer's there's has two single beds. Oh and Morpheus', he gets a double bed." she added. "And this is Switch's room, right next to yours." she finished, tapping Switch's door then gesturing to Switch.

Mouse nodded in understanding, a smile on his face.

"I'm telling you all this mainly because of shifts. Remember what Tank said about sentinels?" Trinity asked, looking at Mouse.

"The killing machines?" Mouse questioned, confused what this had to do with there rooms.

Trinity nodded. "We don't exactly want to end up dead, so someone is always on look out. Because of that we have shifts, so during the night when your shift finishes you will need to know where the next person on shift is." she explained.

"Oh, okay." Mouse replied, realizing what she was talking about.

"But you don't need to worry about that now. You need to complete your training before you even have to think about any of that." she assured him, giving him a kind smile.

Mouse smiled back her, looking a little nervous.

"Okay there's just a few more places left to see." Trinity said, walking down the corridor, signaling for Mouse to follow her.

The group made there way back down the hall, walking back out onto the main bridge. Trinity made her way over to the ladder that led up to the top deck. Gripping onto one of the metal rungs Trinity pulled her self up, climbing quickly to the top. Looking back down Trinity saw Mouse climbing up after her, followed by Switch and Apoc.

Switch puled herself up onto the deck and looked around, she had never been up here before. She knew all that was up here was the driving cabin and had never really bothered to come up. From here you could see everything, the core, the mess hall, the door to the med bay, and the base of the ladder leading down to the engine room. The top deck wrapped around the walls of the main bridge and was only about a meter wide, the only door on this floor was right behind them; it looked like it would be almost inline with the door of the corridor leading to their dormitories.

"This is the top deck." Trinity explained, gesturing to deck overlooking the main bridge. "And this is the driving cabin." she said, turning around to open the door behind her.

Mouse rushed over the door, curiously peering inside. Switch came up behind him and looked over his shoulder, interested in seeing what the driving cabin looked like. It was smaller than she had expected, the wall opposite was almost completely made of glass, there was a control panel wrapping around the entire room and there were two seats in front of the monitors. The whole room looked a little chaotic, like the core. There were wires and machinery everywhere; it looked like an electrical disaster waiting to happen.

"No much to see." Trinity noted, as she reached to close the door.

Mouse nodded, stepping away from the door. Trinity pulled it shut and turned back to face them.

"So to the engine room?" Trinity asked, a small smile forming on her face.

Mouse smiled, nodding his head excitedly. Apoc chuckled at his enthusiasm, usually only Tank and Dozer showed any excitement to do with the engine room.

"Well then, we had better tell Dozer and Tank that were going down there." Apoc said, sharing a knowing look with Trinity.

Switch knew what they were getting at. When she had first been taken into the engine room Tank and Dozer had showed her everything and explained in detail how all the machinery was designed and what it did. They had a real passion for this ship and took great pride in showing off how it worked. They we in charge of all the maintenance onboard the ship and ensured everything was kept in running condition so it was normal that they should be so passionate about it. However most of what they had told her went way over her head, it wasn't really her area of expertise.

"We'd better, they would never forgive us if we didn't." Trinity replied, laughing at the thought.

"Come on." Apoc said, turning to climb down the ladder, gesturing for the others to follow him.

Switch waited for Trinity and Mouse to descend down the ladder before climbing down after them. Once on the ground she looked around the main bridge, noticing that Tank and Dozer were no longer seated at the monitors, their position now being filled by Cypher. They must have gone to the mess hall.

"Tank! Dozer!" Trinity yelled in the direction of the open mess hall door.

A second later Tank and Dozer came running out, both looking slightly worried as they came over rushing over to stand next to Trinity.

"You all alright?" Dozer asked.

Trinity nodded, smiling at them. "Just wondering if you wanted to show Mouse around the engine room." she explained.

Tank's face lit up and he pulled Mouse towards him, slinging an arm around his shoulder. "We would love to." Tank said, giving Mouse a friendly smile.

Mouse smiled back nervously, surprised at Tank's sudden friendliness.

"Come with us." Dozer offered, walking towards the engine room. Tank and Mouse followed behind them, Tank only releasing Mouse when they reached the top of the ladder. They all made their way down and disappeared into the engine room.

Trinity sighed and shock her head, pulling Switch's attention back to her.

"They do that every time." Trinity chuckled, still shaking her head.

"Even if they're not staying on the ship." Apoc added, a smile forming on his face.

"Well at least they take pride in what they do." Switch added, smiling to herself.

"True." Apoc agreed.

"Should we go down after them?" Switch asked. She didn't really want to listen to them talking about the ship again but she didn't want to be rude.

"Might as well." Trinity sighed, walking over to the engine room.

Switch and Apoc followed behind her, crossing the main bridge and climbing down the ladder into the engine room.

Switch could already hear Tank and Dozer's voices as she climbed down the ladder, explaining how the water system worked.

Standing on the ground she looked over to Trinity and Apoc and saw they had already entered into the room and had taken a seat on the ground near the middle of the engine room. Quickly walking over to them she took a seat next to Apoc, sitting on the cold ground with her knees pulled up to her chest.

"How long do you reckon they'll be at it?" Apoc asked, turning to look at Trinity.

"At least an hour, maybe longer seeing how eager Mouse has been about everything." she replied, a small smile forming on her lips.

"Yea, I wasn't expecting that." Apoc said, shaking his head slightly.

"He's handled everything really well." Switch noted.

"His life must have sucked for him to find this place amazing." Apoc muttered, looking over at Mouse, a sad expression on his face.

Switch followed his gaze and saw Mouse standing in between Tank and Dozer, looking overly excited at the generator they were showing him. She hadn't even given a thought to the boy's life, what had he been through?

No one said anymore on the matter, the three of them all sat in a comfortable silence while they half listened to what Tank and Dozer where saying. Eventual Switch completely zoned out, not paying any attention to what they were saying.

She got a fright when Apoc tapped her shoulder. Spinning round to face him she saw that Mouse, Tank and Dozer had come over and taken a seat next to them. Smiling she shock her head, trying to snap out of her daze.

"So what do you think?" Trinity asked, turning to look at Mouse.

"I like it. This ship is incredible and, and… you've all been so nice. And thank you." he mumbled, looking at the ground.

"You're welcome." Trinity replied, giving him a quick one-armed hug.

His shoulders hunched and he tried to hide his bright red face. Switch couldn't help but smile; it was adorable the way he got so embarrassed, especially involving Trinity. It was like he had a little crush on her. She couldn't blame him, it would be hard not to, Trinity was exceptionally beautiful. Switch on the other hand didn't have to worry about that, she was exceptionally plain.

"So." Apoc said, noticing Mouse's embarrassment. "Should we go get some thing to eat?" he asked, looking round at all of them.

Trinity nodded and jumped to her feet, Tank, Dozer and Mouse all getting up after her. Apoc pulled himself to his feet and offered his hand to Switch, which she gratefully accepted, allowing him to pull her to her feet. Standing up she followed Apoc over to the ladder where they all clambered back up onto the main bridge.

"Well that's everything." Trinity sighed as she came back up onto the main bridge.

Mouse still looked slightly awestruck, but Switch wasn't sure if that had to do with the ship or Trinity.

"Oh good, your back." Cypher called when he saw them. "It just turned nine, you're on now Tank." he said, pulling himself out of the seat by the monitors and walking off into the mess hall.

Tank lolled his head back and dragged himself over to the monitor, sitting down in the chair and spinning around in it. Looking like a grumpy child.

Trinity started laughing and Dozer shook his head in embarrassment.

"I'm related to an idiot." Dozer mumbled.

"I heard that!" Tank called, spinning round to glare at his brother.

"Oh yea, what are you gonna do about it?" Dozer teased.

Both gave each other their most menacing glare until they couldn't handle it any longer and cracked up laughing.

Dozer had to put his hands on his knees so he didn't fall over.

"Do you want any dinner?" Dozer asked, still chuckling slightly, not quiet managing to stop laughing.

Tank shook his head. "No thanks, your cooking's terrible." he taunted.

Dozer's jaw dropped in mock horror. Turning toward the mess hall he lifted his head high and sauntered from the room, looking highly offended.

"You overstepped the line, Tank. How could you say that?" Apoc cried, rushing after Dozer.

Mouse looked between the girls and Apoc before running after him, deciding that if they were getting away with it he might as well join in. Trinity raised her eyebrows at Switch in concern. Switch just shrugged, they were beyond help.

"We live with a bunch of children." Trinity sighed as she made her way over to the mess hall.

Switch smiled, she was glad that she did. Life would be dull without them.

Walking into the mess hall she saw Apoc and Mouse seated next to each other, chatting away about something. Dozer was sat next to Cypher, both eating in silence. They had all calmed down from their outburst in the core. She quickly served herself up a bowl of food and sat down next to Apoc, Trinity sitting down opposite her.

"So how has your first day been, Mouse?" Cypher asked.

"Great. I'm still trying to get my head around it all." he replied, smiling at him.

"You still have a lot to learn but it should be all making more sense after you have finished your training." Trinity responded.

"What exactly does this 'training' entail anyway?" Mouse asked.

"You'll be going through some more training programs, like the one you did today with Morpheus. Except these ones will teach you all the basic's, such as combat training, learning to understand the Matrix coding, how to use the machinery on the ship, and other essentials for surviving this life." Apoc explained.

Mouse just nodded, looking a little tired.

Switch was impressed with Mouse; she couldn't believe how well he had handled all of this. She had caused several problems during her transition but Mouse had been perfect, not complaining or doing anything rash. He seemed a little eager and very talkative but over all calm and understanding. He was starting to look exhausted though, she couldn't blame him. He had been rushing around all day and his body still looked very weak from only just being ejected.

"You should probably get some rest." Switch suggested. "You're gonna need it for tomorrow, believe me." she added, smiling kindly at him.

Mouse nodded, stifling a yawn.

"Come on," Trinity said, standing to her feet, "I'll take you to your room."

Mouse stood up, swaying slightly; he didn't seem to have full control over his balance yet.

Trinity put her arm around him, worried that he might fall over. Once he appeared to have stabilized himself she led him out of the hall towards the dormitories.

"Well… I think I'll follow suit." Cypher said as he also got up. "Night." he added as he was about to leave the room.

"Night." Dozer replied, not looking up room his dinner.

"Goodnight." Switch said, giving him a small smile. He looked awkwardly at her, giving her a quick nod before dashing from the room. Apoc said nothing to him, still pissed about yesterday morning. Switch was over it; she knew she wouldn't get an apology out of Cypher so she had just let it go. It wasn't worth it.

"You look exhausted." Apoc noted, looking at Dozer.

"Feel it too." he chuckled, rubbing his eyes, "I'd better get to bed. I'm on shift at three."

"Oh that shifts always harsh." Apoc noted sympathetically.

"You could say that." Dozer sighed as he stood to his feet. "Goodnight you two." he said, giving them a tired smile.

"Night." Apoc replied.

"Hope you sleep well." Switch added, returning his smile.

Dozer ambled from the room, leaving them alone. Looking like he was already half asleep.

Switch turned to Apoc, a grin forming on her face.

"When are you on shift?" Apoc asked.

"I'm on next, but I've got till twelve, Tank's only just gone on. You?" she asked, trying not to sound _too_ excited.

"I'm not scheduled on till nine tomorrow morning." he replied, eagerness clear in his voice.

"So we've got three hours to ourselves?" she almost squealed. She couldn't believe their luck.

He nodded, gripping her hand in excitement.

"I'll get the cards and we'll go to my room." she suggested, a genuine smile forming on her face.

"Sounds like a plan." he agreed, standing to his feet and wrapping his arms around Switch's waist, pulling her to her feet before she had chance to stand up for herself.

Switch scuttled over to the cupboard under the sink, pulling out the set of cards they kept on the ship. It wasn't much but it was a good way to pass the time, they would often have a game after dinner, sometimes even gambling over things like extra socks and bathroom privileges. She had won a pair of socks off Dozer last week; they came in handy for making her boots fit properly. It was a little pitiful really but at least it was a form of entertainment and served as a distraction from reality. However she doubted whether the cards would be getting much use tonight.

Walking out of the mess hall onto the main bridge she saw Tank sat at the monitors.

"Hey." Tank called when he saw them.

"Hey Tank." Switch replied, waving to him.

"What are you guys up to?" he asked, giving them a smug smile.

Switch lifted the cards and shook them, answering his question.

"Nice." Tank nodded in approval. "Have fun." he added, giving them a knowing look.

Switch rolled her eyes at him. "See you at twelve." she called as she walked off, dragging Apoc along with her.

She could see Tank give Apoc a thumbs-up from the corner of her eye. Smirking to herself she quickened her pace, forcing Apoc to run to keep up. Kicking open the door to her room she pushed Apoc inside, a devilish grin on her face. He looked at her in surprise, not having expected to be practically shoved into her room. She quickly walked over to her bed she sat down cross-legged by her pillow, tapping the bed next to her for Apoc to sit down. He slowly crossed the room and sat down, leaning against the metal wall with his feet hanging off the side of the bed.

"Cards?" she asked coyly, waving the deck at him.

"I can think of something better…" he trailed off, taking the cards off her and putting them down on the cabinet beside her bed.

"Can you now?" she teased.

"Come here you." he laughed, opening his arms to her.

A smile crept onto her face she crawled across the bed to him and moved into his lap, straddling his hips. She felt him shudder slightly under her as she moved. Her hands ran up his chest, making him sigh and close his eyes, his head pressed against the wall. She felt strangely powerful on top of him, knowing that she was the cause of his peaceful state. They had time, something they never seemed to have enough of. She took her time, slowly tracing every muscle of his arms with her fingers. She was slightly irritated by the barrier his jumper created between her fingers and his skin.

"Can, I…I t-take this off?" she stuttered, pulling gently on the rim of his jumper.

His eyes snapped open and he stared at her slightly stunned. She chewed on her lip nervously, worried what he would say to that.

He slowly nodded, his hands shaking almost as much as hers were.

She reached out and gripped the hem of his jumper, pulling it gently over his head. Tossing the jumper to the side her eyes locked with his. She took a shaky breath and looked down at his body, he was still wearing his sleeveless undershirt but his arms were exposed. Her hands moved back to his arms. It was completely different touching his skin, her slightly callused fingertips running along his smooth, strong skin. His skin was a dark tan colour while hers was almost sickly white, having never seen the sun. His skin was also lighter than it should have been but his natural pigment kept it dark. She loved the contrast between them; it reflected their personalities, opposites that somehow worked together perfectly. She continued to trace the outline of every nerve and muscle, storing the feel of him to memory. She traced light circles around each plug on his arms, her fingers trailing from skin to metal. She loved every inch of him, even the parts the machines had put there; they were all part of him.

Her hands moved to his chest, resting them flat against him, she could feel his heart beating faster than normal. Looking up she met his eye, seeing unhidden desire. His hands ran up her back, gripping onto her shoulder blades, as he pulled her towards him. His lips crashed into hers and his hands moved to her waist, pulling her down against his hips hard. She felt his need pressing into her. Her heartbeat spiked, it couldn't be any more obvious what he was thinking. And if she was honest with herself she was thinking the same thing, in fact she had been thinking about it quiet a lot recently. She pulled back, her mind snapping back to reality.

He sighed in frustration as she pulled back.

"Apoc." she mumbled, leaning her head against his shoulder. "We can't." she stated miserably.

There was no way they could risk doing anything like _that._ The others rooms were far to close and anyone could walk in on them.

"I know." he murmured, kissing her neck.

She shuffled out of his lap and lay down on the bed, pulling her knees up to her chest and placing her head on his thigh. She had to move off him, it wasn't fair to torment him further.

"Do you mind if I try and get some sleep?" she mumbled against his jeans.

"No, of course not, you need your sleep." he replied, smiling down at her. "I'll stay here with you." he added, gently pulling his fingers through her hair.

She closed her eyes, trying to calm down after their heated moment. It was frustrating having him this close but not being about to give him what she knew he wanted. But the thought that calmed her was the fact that Apoc was willing to wait, he wasn't going anywhere and they would be able to be together eventually. She began to feel drowsy and completely at ease as his hands played with her hair, the rhythmic sound of his breathing soothing her off to sleep.

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Switch struggled to open her eyes as she heard the distinctive sound of the rusty metal door of her room being opened. Blinking her eyes she felt her face pressing into something warm. Looking up slightly she saw Tank peering round the now open door to her room.

"Hey." Tank whispered when he saw she was awake. "Sorry to break you guys up but you're on now." he said, giving her a smile.

Sitting up properly she saw Apoc still sitting where he was when she had fallen asleep. It was a nice feeling, knowing that he had been with her the whole time but she couldn't tell him that with Tank standing right there. She smiled at Apoc as she stood to her feet. She was still fully dressed but it felt a bit colder now so she quickly grabbed the black woolen jumper she had yet too wear out of her bedside cabinet. Pulling it on she felt slightly warmer already, it was thicker than the other jumper she had been wearing but it had a few more tears, it was also a lot longer, coming almost to her knees. Turning back around she saw Apoc had gotten up and was waiting next to Tank by the door. Smiling at them she made her way over to the door and they all quietly left the room.

"Goodnight." Tank whispered opening his arms to her.

"Night." she mumbled, giving him a quick hug.

Tank turned to Apoc and nodded to him before turning and walking down the hall towards his room.

Switch looked to Apoc, a small smile still on her face.

Without a word he pulled her into a hug, holding her close to him.

"I'll see you in the morning." Switch mumbled against his jumper.

He pulled back to look at her, nodding softly. She untangled herself from his arms and took a step towards the main bridge.

"Goodnight." he whispered as she walked away.

She turned around and smiled at him one last time before walking out onto the bridge.

It was quiet now, the only sounds coming from the soft humming of the running computers. Being on shift at night was very different to during the day, it was unnaturally quiet without the chatter and comings and goings of the other crewmembers. It was a nice change but it could also be very lonely, sitting in silence for hours watching streams of coding, hoping nothing would happen; a quiet shift was what you wanted. Switch made herself comfortable in the worn chair; it was going to be a long shift. She kept flicking between the Matrix coding and the surveillance system. None of it was very interesting to her, she knew Apoc found being on shift more enjoyable than she did; he used the time to check up on his younger brothers in the Matrix. Apoc new as well as she did that he would never see them again and he had accepted that, but there was still a link between them. Switch didn't have that though, there was no one she would want to check up on. She was trying to forget about that life, move on as though none of it had really happened, which in reality it hadn't anyway.

Her ears pricked up at the sound of a door being pushed open. Spinning around in the chair she saw someone hovering in the shadows of the corridor.

"Hello?" she ventured quietly.

There was no reply.

She thought about getting up but before she could move a tiny figure crept out onto the main bridge, she smiled when she realized it was Mouse.

"Hi." he mumbled as he came over to stand beside her.

"You okay?" she asked, tilting her head to look at him.

He nodded slowly, looking much more down than he had earlier on.

She wheeled over, still sitting in her chair and grabbed the other chair sometimes used when Tank and Dozer were both operating. Pulling it back over with her she set it down beside her chair in front of the monitor. She patted the seat, gesturing for him to sit down next to her.

He slumped down into the chair, looking a little depressed. She took a good look at him, he was still fully dressed and his eyes were red, he had obviously been crying.

"Mouse?" she asked gently.

He looked up at her and she saw just how upset he was.

She tired to smile but it faltered and instead she pulled him into a hug. She knew how hard this was and what Mouse needed right now, she had needed the same thing, someone to talk to. Without the pressure of a group listening you, just being able to talk one on one.

"It's okay." she mumbled, rubbing his back. "I know how you're feeling." she assured him.

He pulled back, sniffling slightly. "Sorry." he muttered, looking a little embarrassed.

"Don't be. You've handled this better than I did." she replied, giving him a small smile.

"What do you mean?" he asked, not sure what she meant.

"Leaving the Matrix. I was so difficult for the first few days, hardly left my room. Actually I've been a mess ever since I got out but I'm starting to get used to this life though and I know you will too." she explained.

"How long have you been out?" he asked, looing at her curiously.

"Just over a month now." she replied, turning her eyes back to the screen.

"So were both pretty new?" he asked, perking up slightly.

"Uh-huh." she agreed, turning to look at him. "We're the new kids." she added, a grin forming on her face.

He grinned back eagerly at her, he was relieved he wasn't the only one new to all of this.

They sat in silence for a few moments, Switch returning her attention to the monitors and Mouse starring off into space lost in his thoughts.

"I still can't believe it all didn't happen…" Mouse mused, shaking his head in confusion.

"Tell me about it." Switch muttered. "I can't believe it was all for nothing, it wasn't even real." she sighed.

"Everything I when through shaped who I am, or who I was, but now…" he trailed off, looking a little disheartened.

"Mouse." Switch began. "Listen to me, the Matrix doesn't define you. It can't tell you who you are but that doesn't mean that who were in there isn't you now, you can be who ever you want to be. You don't have to carry around the baggage from that world but you don't have to lose yourself either, what you remember and what you forget is a decision only you can make." she explained.

Mouse didn't move, taking in what she had said.

"It's hard to forget sometimes." he mumbled, looking down at his hands.

Switch knew that was true, some things never went away.

"How did you manage it?" he asked, turning to look at her.

"I haven't. Not yet anyway. But putting your all into this life makes it easier to forget about that one." she replied, giving him a small smile.

"Your right, I will probably feel better if I just don't think about any longer, it was all just a bad dream." he said, chuckling slightly. "Seventeen years of bad dreams…" he trailed off.

"Twenty-one for me." she giggled, trying to lighten the mood.

He laughed almost sadly but didn't say anything else. They fell back into a comfortable silence; the only sound to be heard was Switch's fingers clicking across the keys as she scanned through the Matrix. She looked to the clock running and saw that she had been on shift for nearly an hour; Mouse should really go to bed.

"You tired?" she asked, turning to look across at Mouse.

"Not really." he mumbled.

"You should really try and get some rest, tomorrow is going to a big day." she suggested, spinning her chair round to face him side on. "Come on, I'll take you back to bed." she offered, standing to her feet.

She offered him her hand, smiling at him. He took her hand and stood his feet, returning her smile. Turning around she walked across the main bridge and down the corridor, not letting go of his hand. When they stopped outside his room she turned to look at him.

"Just try and let it all go, you don't need to worry. We are all here for you, everything is going to be okay." she assured him.

He smiled, not an eager smile but a genuine smile that reached his eyes. She pulled him into a hug, rubbing his back gently. They stood for a moment, Switch waiting for Mouse to pull back; she didn't know how long he needed this hug for. He eventually pulled back, a smile still on his face.

"Thank you." he mumbled, looking her in the eye.

"No worries, now get some sleep." she said, pushing the door to his room open.

He nodded and ducked into the room turning back around to close the door, smiling at her.

"Remember I'm right next door if you need anything." she offered.

"Thank you, Switch." he replied, looking touched by her words.

"Goodnight." she said, giving him a little wave as he closed the door.

She smiled to herself as she made her way back down the corridor, she felt good being able to help Mouse. She had Apoc to help her so to be able to offer the same to Mouse felt like she had actually been of some use in his transition from the Matrix. She walked back out onto the main bridge, making her way over to the monitors to finish her watch, feeling glad that she had been put on this shift.

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Thanks so much for reading! I'm sorry if you found the tour boring, I was using it make a mental map of the ship and work out where everything was. I'm not 100% happy with this chapter, the beginning felt rushed to me and I didn't really go anywhere but oh well. The story will be picking up in pace next chapter with a trip to the Oracle on the way. I have quiet a lot of action planned for the chapters coming up so please don't give up on me yet! :) xx


	8. The Confrontation

Authors Note: Sorry this chapter took so long to update, it's been a crazy week for me! Just wanted to give a warning that this chapter could be deemed as needing an M rating by some, as there is some suggestive content. Also on that note looking ahead this story will have some scenes that need to be rated M. Should I change the rating of the story or just continue to place warning on the chapters containing anything M rated? Please let me know and thank you so much for reading, hope you enjoy! xx

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"Come on, you can do better than that!" Apoc yelled up at Switch.

Switch just rolled her eyes and pulled herself up by her arms again. Bending her arms she pulled her head up to level with main bridge floor before slowly extending her arms out again so she could look down at Apoc standing on the ground floor of the engine room.

"How many times do I have to do this?" she grumbled, a scowl forming on her face.

She wouldn't dare tell him but she was getting exhausted. Her body still ached all over from yesterday. While Tank and Dozer had been going through the training programs with Mouse, Apoc had been putting her through physical training. She hadn't been doing so well. Her muscles were still very weak from being ejected and all her muscle memory from inside the Matrix had been lost. She had never been particularly fit, preferring to spend time at her computer instead of any taxing physical activities but she had still been relatively strong. But now her twig thin arms could hardly support her weight as she tried doing chin-ups on the metal railing of the engine room. Her body was suspended over the engine room bellow her and she was being held up by her hands gripping the bottom bar of the railing. That was the only reason she hadn't given up yet; the idea of falling to the concrete ground wasn't very appealing.

"Ten more times." he called up; a smile on his face.

Ugh. It was turning out to be another difficult day. Sighing she pulled herself up again, feeling her arms grudgingly tighten at the force exuded. When she managed to pull her head up she looked through the railing into the core. She could just see Mouse sitting across the bridge, still jacked into a training program. She wished she could change her training for his; it was far more interesting and hurt a lot less. She had spent the last three hours going through a series of drills to strengthen her non-existent muscles while Mouse was going through a series of painless combat training programs. Her arms started to shake uncontrollably as she held herself up and she felt her grip on the railing slipping.

"Apoc!" she screamed, frantically trying to hold on. Her arms went slack, giving up on her as pain shot through her pathetic muscles. A wave a panic rushed through her and she knew she was going to fall.

"Shit." Apoc muttered under his breath. "It's okay, don't hurt yourself. Climb back over the railing, I'm right beneath you incase you fall." he assured, rushing over to stand under her.

"Okay." she mumbled, taking a deep breath to calm herself.

She reached out to grab the next rail above her, climbing up until she could place her feet on the bottom rail. Standing up she swung her legs over the railing and onto the small deck over looking the engine room. Calming down now that she was on solid ground again she quickly walked along the deck and climbed down the ladder into the engine room. She was annoyed with herself; she just didn't have the strength yet to do what the others could. There was no way she could continue another day like yesterday. If she did she doubted whether she would even be able to move tomorrow. Jumping off the ladder she walked across the room to Apoc. As she walked towards him he opened his arms to her, a worried look on his face. She stumbled into his arms, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"You okay?" he asked, pulling her into a hug.

She nodded against his shoulder. She was glad it was Apoc training her; it would have been mortifying if anyone else had seen her pitiful attempts today. She had done better yesterday; managing to do almost everything she was instructed to. But today she was feeling the toll of the previous days training and her muscles were just not willing to co-operate.

"Sorry if I pushed you too hard." he added, gently rubbing her shoulders.

She didn't know if she felt better or worse for Apoc's comfort. She appreciated that he didn't want her to hurt herself but was frustrated that he knew she wasn't as able as the others obviously were. But she knew it had more to do with genuine care for her well-being than anything else. And another trip to the med bay was the last thing she needed.

"You didn't. I'm just not feeling the best today." she admitted, hiding her face in his shirt.

"Sore from yesterday?" he asked, pulling her shoulders back softly to look at her.

"You could say that." she muttered, looking up to meet his eyes.

"Do you wanna rest instead today, we could do something together?" he asked, a smile returning to his face.

"Sure, what did you have in mind?" she asked, perking up slightly.

"How about some lunch first." he suggested, looking at her questioningly.

"Sounds good." she replied, forcing a smile. Eating wasn't exactly one of her favorite past times.

"So its a date?" he questioned, a playful tone to his voice.

Switch couldn't help but laugh; his face was precious, like he was asking her out on their first date, which technically he was.

"If it is then you're a pretty cheap date." she teased, nudging him in the side.

"Hey!" he laughed, nudging her back. "I'm trying." he protested, an almost sad grin forming on his face.

She closed the space between them and reached up to place a kiss on his check. "I know you are." she giggled against his skin. "And I love you for it." she added, pulling back to look at him.

One of his genuine smiles spread across his face. One that wasn't because they were joking, but one that showed just how happy she made him. It was in rare moments that he would not forget about the harshness of this life but remember it in painfully clear detail and still be content because they were together. He knew he could never take her on a real date, they could only tease. He knew that he couldn't do any of the things he wanted to do with her here. But when he looked at her it didn't seem to matter. As long as they were together none of it made any difference. It wasn't about romance between them it was about love, pure and simple. He would love her no matter what and he was grateful for everything they did have. They had a life ahead of them and one that they could share. It wasn't perfect, not even close, but it was all he needed. He didn't know how long they would have together but looking at her right now standing before him, he didn't want to miss a moment of it.

She smiled at him, confused at to why he was blatantly staring at her. His expression was unreadable and she couldn't place the look in his eyes. He looked sad and yet there was some other emotion that she couldn't decipher.

"You okay?" she asked, tilting her head to look at him.

He nodded before shaking his head softly to clear his mind. "Yeah. I'm good. Shall we?" he asked, gesturing towards the ladder up to the main bridge.

Switch quickly walked past him, giving him a hopeful smile before climbing up the ladder. She could hear Apoc climbing up behind her but her thoughts where more on his mind that his physical location. What on earth had over come him down there? It wasn't like him to act like this. Apoc didn't often space out on her like that, not since the first night when she had told him about her life in Matrix.

Standing up on the main bridge she turned back to see Apoc climbing up to stand beside her, a smile returning to his face. As he reached her he offered his hand out to her. She looked warily at his outstretched arm; they hadn't done anything like this in public before. Tank and Dozer where just across the bridge from them so they would have to walk past them to reach the mess hall. Seeing an almost pleading look in Apoc's eyes she let out a low sigh and took his hand, allowing him to lead her towards the mess hall.

"Hey, hey." Tank called, spinning round in the chair by the monitors when he heard them. "What do we have here?" he gasped, a grin forming on his face as his eyes narrowed onto Switch's hand held firmly in Apoc's.

"Hey Tank." Apoc said, ignoring Tank's comment. He continued to make his way over to the mess hall, giving Tank and Dozer a smile as he past them.

"Dozer, reckon you'll been fine with Mouse?" Tank asked, turning to look at Dozer.

"Sure." Dozer agreed, his eyes never leaving the screen he was watching Mouse on.

"Thanks. I owe you one!" Tank exclaimed, slapping Dozer on the back before jumping to his feet.

Switch rolled her eyes. Great. She was looking forward to some time with Apoc but of course Tank just _had_ to tag along. He would undoubtedly want to use this time to corner them about what was going on between them. They had gotten away with it this long because everyone had been busy with Mouse.

Apoc led her through the mess hall door, Tank following in behind her. Only once she had taken a seat did Apoc let go of her hand, quickly walking over to the bench to serve them up some lunch. She sat watching as Tank and Apoc collected the food and brought it over to her. Apoc slid onto the bench next to her and Tank seated himself across from them, grinning from ear to ear.

Switch looked down at her food and forced herself to eat it, trying to get this over as quickly as possible. She knew this wasn't anything out of the ordinary but she was feeling increasingly uncomfortable sitting next to Apoc while Tank openly started at them, a smug smile on his face. They had it coming really. Ever since the fight with Cypher the other day it had become obvious, if it wasn't already, to everyone that there was something going on between them and no one had confronted them about it yet.

She kept her eyes down, trying to look very busy with her food but she was just prolonging the inevitable. Tank would want to question them sooner or later and they would have to give him some sort of answer. She couldn't put it off any longer and shoved the half eaten bowl away from her; she would rather talk than eat anymore of that repulsive concoction. Looking up her eyes locked with an eager pair of brown ones, she couldn't help but laugh. He looked like a kid in a candy store, eyes wide and unable to keep a smile off his face. He was obviously happy for them, she just wished he would leave them be. But she knew Tank better than that.

"So…" he began casually, giving Apoc a knowing look. "What's really going on between you two?" he asked, placing his elbows on the table and resting his chin in his hands.

Switch looked across at Apoc, not wanting to say anything. Apoc looked a little uncomfortable and slightly annoyed but it was well disguised enough that only she picked up on it.

"Nothing you don't already know…" Apoc muttered, his eyes giving Tank an obvious warning.

"I know, I know. I don't mean to pry its just the other night I saw you both in Switch's room and it kinda got me thinking about whether you two know, you, well…you could have possibly, ugh, I mean if you could have, umm _done _it?" he stuttered, his words getting quicker and more slurred as he went on, barely managing to finish his sentence under Apoc's furious glare.

Switch hid her face in her hands; she couldn't believe Tank had just asked that. He had absolutely no tact at times. She knew it was a little low but she wanted to watch Apoc get himself out of this one. She faked embarrassment but it was really curiosity as to what on earth Apoc would say to that.

"What the hell Tank? You can't ask people that, honestly how does Dozer handle you? Just because were stuck on this _goddamn_ ship doesn't mean two people can't have _some_ privacy!" he muttered irritably, his eyes narrowing at Tank.

"Oh I see…_privacy_." Tank replied, giving Switch a wink.

Switch look at him at horror. She was astounded that he had managed to make this impossibly worse for himself, but even more so by the fact that he had actually said that.

"Please just _shut up_ Tank." Apoc groaned, frustration clear in his voice.

"You not answering me pretty much tells me the answer anyway." Tank teased, a smug smile on his face.

Apoc just glared at him.

Switch wished Tank hadn't said anything, he had just annoyed Apoc and now her afternoon off with him was likely to be ruined. They would have to lose Tank if they wanted to have any decent conversation and it would all be shadowed by this anyway. She knew that they couldn't do anything like Tank was suggesting and him saying that was just making it worse. It wasn't fair on her or Apoc to be forced to restrain from each other for the sake of the rest of the crew, just to be teased for doing exactly what they desperately wanted to do but couldn't. She wanted to hit Tank square in the face and give him a piece of her mind. Instead she sat quietly while Apoc stared daggers at Tank who was becoming increasingly uncomfortable now. Switch wanted to say _something_ but didn't dare say anything; she knew better than to get involved in this. She had only just attained a fragile friendship with the crew and didn't want to risk joining any arguments yet. She was already on bad terms with Cypher because of the other day and didn't want to add Tank to that list.

"Sorry." Tank mumbled, looking down at the table. "I shouldn't have said anything…" he trailed off, looking a little ashamed.

Apoc refused to look at him, not even registering that he had said anything.

Switch opened her mouth to say something but quickly closed it again when she saw Cypher walk into the room. He looked at them in confusion while he served himself some lunch. He walked over almost cautiously to take a seat next to Tank. The table fell into an uneasy silence that no one seemed willing to break. Apoc sat tensely next to her; hit fists clenched under the table. Tank was looking down at the table, unsure what he should do now. Switch looked across at Cypher, he had an amused smile on his face and let out a soft chuckle when he caught her staring at him.

"What's so funny?" Apoc snapped, turning his attention to Cypher.

"Nothing." Cypher replied, giving him a smug smile and shrugging his shoulders.

"How much did you hear?" Switch asked before Apoc could say anything.

"Enough." he stated simply, not looking up from his food.

Switch looked at him questioningly, seeing if he would reveal what exactly he had heard.

He sighed, looking up at her and Apoc. "Enough to know what all this is about." he explained, gesturing between them.

"What?" Apoc asked, a dangerous tone creeping into his voice.

"Its normal that after years of being alone you grabbed the first woman who showed any interest, there's no shame in that…" he trailed off a smug look still on his face.

Cypher was living dangerously. Apoc still hadn't forgiven him for what had occurred at breakfast the other day so to be mocking him like this wasn't a good idea.

"That's not true Cypher and you know it." Tank protested, turning to look at Cypher, his embarrassment replaced with anger.

"Sure it is, they've known each other for what, a month? And he's already got her in his bed." he argued, some of the smugness fading from his face. "It must be nice having someone to fuck with though…" he trailed off, giving Switch a sly smile.

"Shut the hell up, Cypher." Apoc seethed, his eyes glaring daggers at Cypher. He had leaned forward, his fists dangerous close to Cyphers face. "You better stay out of this." he warned, trying to regain his composure.

"Calm down._ I'm_ just looking out for Switch." he replied, arrogance radiating off him.

Now it was Switch's turn to lose it. She wouldn't stand for this, not from Cypher.

"I don't need you looking out for me." she almost yelled. "We haven't even slept together for gods sake." she muttered, her eyes narrowed at Cypher.

Cypher muttered something inaudible and opened his mouth to say something to Switch but closed it again, choosing against continuing another argument.

Switch glanced over at Apoc, he wasn't looking at any of them, his hands gripping tightly onto the edge of the bench he was sitting on. She couldn't read any expression on his face but his body language gave it away. She was suddenly hit with a wave of nauseous fear; she shouldn't have said that. It sounded like she was trying to assure them that they hadn't slept together, like she was implying that she wouldn't want to sleep with him. She mentally kicked herself; she could be so stupid at times.

Cypher didn't make any further comment, returning to his dinner while Switch and Tank exchanged awkward glances. Apoc couldn't even look at any of them.

"I've gotta get back." Tank mumbled quietly, standing up from the table. He nodded briskly to Apoc as he got to his feet and gave them one last sympathetic look before he ambled from the room; walking back over to Dozer and Mouse in the core.

Watching his figure disappear out onto the main bridge she realized she could never stay mad at Tank, no matter what he said. He shouldn't have brought this up in the first place but he had defended her and Apoc, which in her mind more than made up for it. Cypher on the other hand wasn't going to get off as lightly as he did last time. When he had snapped at her the other morning it was directed at herself so she just ignored it, but today he had offended Apoc and she wouldn't be as forgiving.

Apoc seemed to snap out of his thoughts and reached out for her hand, holding it gently in his own, his thumb softly tracing circled on the back of her hand. She closed her eyes for a second; it was remarkable how quickly Apoc could make her feel calm again.

"It's just turned three and I'm not on shift till six so what do you want to do till then?" he asked quietly, his eyes on there intertwined hands.

"We could go to my room?" she mumbled, her hands shaking slightly. "To talk and I think the cards are still in there…" she trailed off, trying to sound like she wasn't implying anything.

"Sure." he agreed, giving her a reassuring smile.

He stood to his feet, not letting go of her hand as she also got up. Walking quietly from the room they made their way out onto the main bridge without even looking at Cypher still seated at the table. They walked across the main bridge and then down the dormitory corridor. Switch dragged Apoc along as she rushed towards her room. When they reached her room she pulled the door open, quickly entering the room and closing the door firmly behind them. Spinning round to look at Apoc she saw what, to her, was the perfect sight. Apoc sitting on her bed in her room. It was made better knowing that they had almost three hours to themselves. They didn't often get this much time off but because Mouse was being trained all other work had been put on hold. Tank and Dozer were tied up with training Mouse and her and Apoc _should_ be training but other than that they all had free time. However both yesterday and today Morpheus and Trinity had dashed up to the driving cabin straight after breakfast explaining they had important business to attend to regarding the search of 'The One'. She still didn't have a clue what on earth that was and when she had asked the answer was simple; it doesn't matter yet so don't worry about it. She was curious but honestly wasn't that bothered. She had other things to worry about right now and she trusted their judgment on what was important for her to know.

Pulling out of her thoughts she looked at Apoc waiting patiently for her. She quickly crossed the room and took a seat next to him, looking up at him expectantly.

He turned to look at her, a miserable expression on his face. She reached out for his arm, concerned as to why he was suddenly so down. But she knew it would have something to do with what had happened in the mess hall.

"I'm sorry for losing it before." he muttered, not meeting her eye.

"Don't be, I was thinking _far_ worse." she assured him, giving him a small smile.

He chuckled softly, his hand slowly running up her arm. She closed her eyes, relishing the feeling of his strong hands on her thin arms covered by her baggy jumper. It was such a small touch but she needed it, she almost didn't feel human unless he was touching her.

"Apoc." she mumbled, moving closer to him to place her head on his shoulder.

"Yeah?" he questioned, his arm wrapping around her shoulder.

"About what I said before, and about Cypher…I'm… sorry, we, I mean…" she trialed off, not really sure where she was even going with this.

"Listen to me Switch." Apoc said firmly, his hands gripping her shoulders and turning her gently to face him. "Tank can say things without thinking sometimes, I'm used to it. But Cypher, he says things and he _means _them. I should be used to that too but today he just really pissed me off. His comments were degrading to you, to us. He can assume all he likes, we know we haven't slept together, but they way he said it made it sound like that was all I wanted. Don't get me wrong, _god_ do I want you, but not only in that way." he explained, not taking his eyes off of hers.

Switch didn't know what to think, Apoc had never been that straight forward before. She had noticed that he had been acting a little odd all day and after hearing that she knew why. This didn't just have to do with Cypher, that was just the tipping point. He had been thinking about this for a while. She knew that this was going to be difficult, they would never be able to have a normal relationship but it touched her that he cared enough that it bothered him.

"Apoc, I, I…" she stuttered, trying to think of something to say. She pulled him into a hug, clinging onto him as though this one action could explain everything she was feeling. She wasn't good with words like Apoc was but the emotion would be obvious enough to him. She loved him, more than anything else. He was all she wanted, all she would ever want. She hoped he knew that.

He moved back to lean against the wall, pulling her onto his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck, gently pulling her fingers through his hair. She was torn between wanting to prove that she wasn't only interested in him physically and wanting to show him how much she wanted him. Apoc knew she loved more about him that anything purely physical so she wasn't proving anything by distancing herself from him. That thought alone made her resolve falter. She leaned into him and pressed her lips to his, desperate and needy. She had only kissed him a few times but she was starting to grow dependent on these moments, it was as though nothing was right unless they were together in some way. Their lips moved together and she titled her head to the side, deepening the kiss and giving him further access into her mouth. They were kissing more passionately then they ever had before. It was as though they were trying to prove something to each other, prove how much they needed each other. She couldn't take it any longer; she was tired of having to be chaste with him, tired of having to watch herself. She needed this to the point where it was almost painful. Pulling back for air she rested her forehead against his, her hands reaching up to cup his face.

"I want you." she murmured, her nose skimming across his. She could feel his breath tickling her face, his hands tightening their grip around her waist, and his need pressing into her. It was cruel and she knew it. She was telling him she wanted him, that she needed him, but with the knowledge that she couldn't have him.

"Switch I can't live like this anymore. I _need_ you." he moaned into her ear, making her cling tighter onto him.

He gently rocked his hips into hers, making his arousal even more painfully noticeable. She ran her hands up his arms, pressing her chest into his. She rubbed her entire body against him, making him groan against her neck and his hands tighten their grip on her through her oversized clothes.

"Can, can… we _ever_ be together?" she mumbled against his check, trying to calm her racing heart.

"We'll… _have_ to go to Zion soon and, and when we do… were off duty, with our own rooms…" he trailed off, speaking through labored breaths, but the meaning was clear in his voice.

"How soon?" she almost begged, she was starting to lose it. His hands slowing running up her sides made her shiver involuntarily and her mind was slowly spiraling out of control.

"Could be months from now." he sighed, disheartened by that fact.

Her body went limp in his arms; she didn't know if she could last that long. Every moment together until then would be pleasurable torture, she wouldn't be able to survive without at least this but it would be painful having him this close and not being able to make love to him.

"But you know what makes me able to resist you?" he questioned, a smile forming on his face.

She froze her movements, surprised by his change in tone. She didn't really understand what there was for him to resist from, she wasn't what you would call attractive in any way. Her figure was more like that of a pubescent teenage boy, even more so now, and her womanly assets were barely noticeable. She had believed him straight away when he had said that he loved her for more that anything purely physical because he would have to, there wasn't anything to be physically attracted too. But she knew she would have a harder time believing whatever he was going to say now.

"What?" she asked, unable to keep a smile off her face.

"I couldn't bear it if someone came in and saw us, saw _you_ in a way that you wouldn't want to be seen. I wouldn't be able to look at anyone who had seen you like that the same again. I couldn't face them calmly knowing the image of you in that state was in their mind." he explained, his hand gently caressing her face. "If, if you _do_ decide to, to…" he paused, taking a shaky breath. "Be with me. Then I want to make it special for you, without any fear of someone interrupting us."

She smiled into his touch, feeling her heart swell in her chest. She had never had this sort of experience before. Back in the Matrix her only memories of physical contact, sexual or otherwise, were all painful for her and she tried to forget about them. But the way Apoc treated her was parallel to everything she had known. She couldn't get her head around the idea that her cared about something a small as what others were physically able to see of her. It was a protective gesture she had never even thought of before. It sounded a little overbearing but it didn't feel possessive, it felt safe, knowing that her body was important to him and he wanted to protect that. Now that she thought about it she would hate it if anyone else got to see the side of him that he reserved only for her. Looking at him now while she straddled his hips, his eyes on hers. She knew what he said was true, she wouldn't want anyone else to see him like this. She suddenly realized that someone might already have.

"Apoc…" she mumbled, not able to look at him. "Back in the Matrix did you have anyone…" she trailed of, feeling a little embarrassed for asking him that. The thought had never even occurred to her before but it was a very real possibility.

He shook his head softly. "No. I wasn't around people enough. I was so immersed in my search that I didn't have time to even think about that sort of thing." he replied, a sad smile on his face.

Switch just nodded, she couldn't deny she was relieved. It was easier knowing that she was the first; that she wasn't being compared to anything or anyone from the Matrix.

"What about you?" he asked quietly. Looking at her almost nervously.

She sighed a looked down at her hands. This wasn't an easy question to answer. Her innocence had been taken from her since before she could remember. She couldn't keep it from him; he deserved the truth. She had over looked all of this when explaining to him about her past life, wanting to forget about this more than anything else. But she had to tell him now.

"I, well I…" she stuttered. "I never loved anyone. I didn't sleep with anyone _willingly_ if that's what you mean." she replied, trying to keep her voice even.

She lifted her eyes to look at Apoc's, seeing a pained expression on his face that intensified in his eyes. She tried to give him a reassuring smile but couldn't hold it when she saw the complete agony in his eyes. He pulled her towards him, cradling her head with his hands, gently kissing her forehead.

"Oh_ god_." he mumbled into her hair. "I'm _so_ sorry Switch."

He continued to hold her, stroking her hair, kissing her face, mumbling sweet nothings to her. She closed her eyes, completely at peace. She didn't feel any bitterness anymore, she had let all of it go. That was her old body. The pain she had been through didn't have to haunt her here. She had been given a fresh start and wasn't looking back. Apoc was trying to calm her but really he was the one that needed calming. His hands were shaking and his voice broke whenever he tried to say something.

Pulling her head gently out of his hold she looked up at him. His face made her heart ache; it was as though this had caused him physical pain.

"Apoc, I'm sorry, I can't be, be… I wish I could change my past… but I can't." she sighed, closing her eyes in frustration. "But in this life, in this body, I've never been with anyone but you and that's all that matters to me." she continued, trying to make her voice as convincing as possible.

"Switch." he breathed. "I, I care about you and I want to protect you. What's been done to you, what you've been through… I can't undo. But from now on I will always be here to take care of you. You won't ever have to anything with your body that you don't want to, especially not around me." he replied, trying to reassure her.

"Thank you." she mumbled, taking his hands in her own.

She couldn't put into words how much that meant to her. He was everything she could ever ask for, exactly what she needed. They sat in silence for an immeasurable amount of time; there was nothing more to say. He didn't let go of her hands and she could almost feel how much he cared through his hands securely holding hers. She rested her head against his shoulder, nuzzling her face into his neck.

She wasn't sure if she had fallen asleep or not but she jumped when the sound of tapping on the door echoed through the room, returning her to a state of consciousness.

Giving Apoc a small smile she climbed off his lap and returned her feet to the floor. She quickly made her way over to the door and pulled it open. Looking out into the corridor she saw Trinity standing outside her door, a tired smile on her face.

"Hey, Trin." she said, surprised to see her. She opened the door further to allow her to enter her room.

Trinity shook her head, not moving towards the door. "I just came to tell you were having a meeting in the mess hall." Trinity explained, looking a little eager, even through her obvious exhaustion.

"Okay, we'll come now." Apoc called as he came over to join them.

"Oh sorry, I didn't realize you were both in there." Trinity replied, giving them a shrewd smile.

Switch smiled shyly back at her, trying not to look guilty. She knew she could trust Trinity to keep this between them.

"Before we go can either of you explain to me what happened today? Both of you and Cypher were hiding in your rooms and Tank was acting rather odd when I spoke with him before." she questioned looking at them expectantly.

Apoc laughed softly as he walked out into the corridor. "Trust me Trin, you don't want to know." he replied, giving her shoulder a pat as he walked past her.

Trinity turned to Switch as she walked out to join her, hoping to get an answer out of her.

"I'll tell you later." she whispered into Trinity's ear as they followed after Apoc.

Trinity smiled at her, nodding her head.

She had missed Trinity over the past two days. It had been great to spend some time with Apoc but she liked being able to confide in Trinity. Walking across the main bridge and into the mess hall she tried to forget about what had happened in her room before, she needed to give her full attention to whatever was about to be discussed.

As they entered into the mess hall Switch saw that almost everyone was already seated at the table. Mouse was sitting in between Tank and Dozer, looking around the table excitedly while Morpheus was sat next to Cypher deep in thought. Apoc took a seat next to Morpheus and Trinity slid onto the bench next to him. Switch quickly sat down next to Tank, looking to Morpheus, eager to hear what he had to say.

Morpheus turned to look at her, giving her a small smile before his eyes moved onto Mouse.

There had been a small amount of chatter between Mouse and Tank when she had come in but now the table had fallen into an expectant silence, every eye directed at Morpheus.

Morpheus cleared his throat and took a deep breath. "Tomorrow we will be jacking into the Matrix." he said calmly, not the slightest trace of worry in his voice.

Switch turned to look at Trinity in shock. She couldn't believe they were going back in so soon. What on earth would they need to go back in for? Were they ejecting _another_ crewmember? That didn't make any sense as she had been told their ship's main directive was searching for 'The One'. Could it have something to do with that? She didn't know enough about what was really going on to understand the reason for this trip. She tried to stop her mind from racing; she needed to pay attention.

"Mouse." he said, gesturing to the boy in front of him. "Switch." he added, turning to look at her. "We are talking you into the Matrix to meet the Oracle." he explained.

"What's an Oracle?" Mouse blurted out, looking at Morpheus in confusion.

"She is a guide. She will help you find your way in this new life. She will help you understand your greater purpose in this world." he replied, looking between Mouse and Switch.

Mouse nodded slowly, his brows creased together as he wrapped his head around the idea.

"Tomorrow will be a long day. I suggest we all get to bed soon. We are all going to need to be at our best." he advised. "Switch you have been relived of your shift tonight, you need to be at your strongest tomorrow." he continued, looking across at her.

She opened her mouth to protest, it wasn't fair for some else to take her shift.

"Apoc has already offered to take you shift as it was directly after his." Morpheus said before she could speak.

She turned to look at Apoc, he hadn't said anything about this to her.

"I'll get us some dinner." Trinity cut in, standing to her feet. Giving Switch a look that told her to drop it.

"I'll help you." Dozer offered, jumping up from the table.

The pair of them quietly made their way over to the bench, preparing bowls of food for them. Making a few trips they carried the food over to table before they took their seats again, digging into their dinner. Switch looked down at the bowl Trinity had placed in front of her. She didn't feel like eating but forced herself to at least eat some. She wanted to get out of here as soon as possible; she had a lot of questions for Trinity. But couldn't ask them with the others around. She looked up at Apoc; he was taking a double shift for her so he would have to spend the next six hours watching the monitors and wouldn't be able to get some rest until twelve. It wasn't fair on him and if he was tired he wouldn't be in greater danger in the Matrix because of it. But there was nothing she could do, if she tried to protest Apoc and Trinity would side against her. She shoveled her food down, managing to finish it all. She felt slightly sick but knew that she would need all her strength for tomorrow. This was more dangerous than the last mission they had been on, for her anyway. She assumed they would have to leave the Lafayette Hotel in order to visit the Oracle. But other than that she had no idea what to expect. She needed to talk to Trinity, she would explain all of this to her. She could ask now but she didn't want to draw any more attention to herself, not after what had happened at lunch. She would rather stay quiet and get the answers later. Looking up from her food she saw that most of them had all finished eating, except for Trinity. Her eyes meet with Apoc's and he smiled kindly at her. She returned his smile, but didn't managing to keep it for long. She was filled with fear as she looked into his eyes. She couldn't bear the thought of something happening to him.

Trinity pushed her empty bowl away from her, only just realizing that the others were waiting for her.

"Alright." Morpheus began, looking around the table. "Everyone get some rest and I will see you all here at six tomorrow morning." Morpheus said as he got to his feet.

Tank and Dozer stood up, stepping over the bench and taking their bowls over to the sink. Mouse jumped up and scuttled after them, a mixture of excitement and nervousness on his face. The three of them walked over to the door, turning round when they got there to look back at the group.

"Goodnight." Tank called, waving back at them.

"Night." Trinity replied, giving them a warm smile.

Mouse mumbled some sort of farewell as he left the room after Tank and Dozer waved as he made his way out. Morpheus followed suit, bidding them goodnight before he too left the room. Cypher hauled himself to his feet and trudged over to the sink, dumping his bowl before he made his way out of the room. He waved over his should too them as he walked out the door.

Apoc turned to look at Switch. "I've gotta go on shift but you get some sleep okay?" he asked, his arm wrapping around her shoulder.

"Okay." she mumbled, feeling her face redden as Trinity smiled at them.

Removing his arm from her shoulder he stood to his feet and collected their bowls, taking them over to the sink before he returned to the table.

"Goodnight." he mumbled, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "I'll see you in the morning." he added, standing up straighter and giving them both a smile before he left the room.

Once he disappeared out onto the main bridge Switch turned to look at Trinity, feeling her face burn when she saw the teasing sappy look on her face.

"You two are so cute." Trinity giggled, nudging Switch's forearm that was resting on the table.

"Oh shush." Switch laughed, rolling her eyes at Trinity.

"Come on, we should to go to bed." Trinity suggested, standing to her feet.

"Not so fast, missy." Switch teased, jumping up and walking round the table to stand next to Trinity. "I need to speak with you."

"Do you now?" Trinity questioned, raising a fine eyebrow at her.

Switch nodded, a smile forming on her face.

"Okay, lets go to your room then. I say your room so I can be sure you don't make any detours to visit a certain person." she replied, giving Switch a knowing look.

Switch just shook her head and pushed Trinity from the room, a smile forming on her face. They made their way towards their rooms, Switch stopping outside her door and Trinity standing outside the door next to hers.

"Grab your stuff and meet me in the washroom." Trinity said, gesturing to the door at the end of the hall next to her room.

Switch nodded and walked into her room. Making her way over to her bed she sat down and unbuckled her boots, kicking them off. Leaning over she rummaged under her pillow and pulled out the under shirt and shorts she reserved for sleeping. She quickly changed out of her baggy jumper and jeans into her pajamas. Gathering her clothes she took them over to the cabinet, storing them inside and taking out her small sack of toiletries. Walking back over to the door she pulled it open and stepped out into the corridor, closing the door behind her. She looked down the hall and saw Trinity and Mouse waiting outside the washroom. She made her way over to them and copied Trinity's position of leaning against the cupboard that made up most of the back wall. Mouse was standing next to Trinity trying, and failing, to keep his eyes off her. Trinity was dressed similarly to Switch in a pair of the same rough cotton shorts and a black sleeveless undershirt but the difference between how they looked in them couldn't be further apart. Switch looked almost the same as Mouse, just slightly thinner, while Trinity was the ideal paradigm of a feminine figure. Mouse's eyes were honed in on the curves of her body, predominantly the ones in her shirt. Honestly. He was a nice kid but he could be such a perv. Trinity didn't even seem to notice.

The door across from the washroom was pulled open, the sound of rusty metal scraping made her head spin round to look. Tank wandered out into the hall dressed only in a pair of shorts, a smile on his face as he ran a hand through his hair. Switch and Trinity had both leaned forward to peer around Mouse to look at Tank and couldn't help themselves from staring when they saw him. Switch had never seen any of them in so little clothing before and Tank could really pull it off. His dark tan skin and well-toned body had quite an effect on her and Trinity. She knew she was staring but couldn't tear her eyes away. Tank saw them both staring and smiled awkwardly, realizing what they were looking at. He crossed his arms across his chest but that only made him look better, the muscles in his arms tightening. Seeing his embarrassment she quickly pulled her eyes away, instead looking at Mouse. She almost felt sorry for him; he had sunk back against the wall next to Trinity to make room for Tank and was clearly feeling inferior. Tank moved to stand across from Trinity as Dozer walked out of their room. Dozer smiled at them as he leaned against the now closed door of their room. They all stood in silence for a moment before the washroom door was pulled open, Cypher emerging from the room. He pulled back in surprise when he saw them all standing outside the door. Recovering he quickly stepped into the corridor and made his way down the hall to his room.

Trinity looked to Mouse, gesturing for him to go. He squeezed his way around Trinity and Switch, his face turning bright red as he accidentally brushed up against them. Switch knew he didn't mean too. These corridors were pretty tight and with Tank and Dozer filling up most of the space he didn't have much room to maneuver around them. Mouse quickly stumbled into the washroom, closing the door behind him.

"I think he will settle in nicely." Dozer said, more to himself than anyone else.

"I think so too." Trinity agreed, looking at the closed door of the washroom, a smile forming on her face.

"What do you think the Oracle will say to him?" Tank asked suddenly, looking at Trinity.

"Who knows, could be anything. I doubt it will be of any help to our search though." she replied, turning her attention back to Tank.

"What is this 'search' anyway?" Switch asked, turning on the side to look at them.

"Well…" Tank began, turning to look at her. "The Oracle has prophesied the return of The One, someone who will end the war with the machines and bring freedom to our people. The Oracle told Morpheus that he would be the one to find him. Ever since then we have been searching for him." Tank explained, his eyes lighting up with unhidden enthusiasm.

"You mean this 'One' will free everyone from the Matrix?" Switch asked.

"Well, were not actually sure, the Oracle can only guide us." he replied, his brows creasing together.

"How will we know we've found him?" Switch questioned, looking at them in confusion.

"The one will have abilities beyond what the average red-piller like you and Trinity have. He will not only be able to bend the rules of the Matrix but break them entirely. He will eventually even be able to see through the illusion of the Matrix and see it for what it really. When he learns how to do that it will allow him to move like the agents do." Tank answered, his fists clenched in excitement, grinning from ear to ear.

"Of course those are all just legends. Tank spends too much time in Zion talking with people in bars about the one. The amount of stories surrounding the prophecy makes it hard to know what is the truth any more." Trinity said, giving Tank a knowing look.

"Say what you want Trinity but just you wait." Tank retorted, her comment not lessening the eagerness in his voice.

"Uh-huh." she nodded, a grin forming on her face. "He'll be our own personal superman." she teased, nudging Tank in the ribs.

Tank opened his mouth to say something as the washroom door was pushed open. Mouse scurried out of the room, giving them a quick wave before dashing down the hall and into his room.

Trinity shuffled around Switch and walked into the washroom, smiling at them as she closed the door. Switch looked to Tank and Dozer interesting in hearing more.

"So say we do find this one what do we do then?" she asked, her eyes flickering between Tank and Dozer.

"Honestly, we don't know." Dozer replied, shrugging his shoulders.

"But don't worry about that now, you've got enough to think about with the Oracle trip tomorrow." Tank added, giving her a thoughtful smile.

"Yeah. I'm a little worried about that, I hope everything goes well." she mumbled, wrapping her arms around herself.

"It'll been fine. Trust me, we've done this plenty of times before." Tank assured her, giving her a comforting pat on the shoulder.

She smiled up at them. She was glad to have them here; this life would be a lot duller with out them. Tank was like a mischievous older brother to her, he teased her but she knew deep down he cared about her. Dozer on the other hand didn't mess around as much but was always there if you needed him. He was the oldest out of them, besides Morpheus, and was the one who took care of them. He kept them fed and was the resident doctor in all ways, physically and emotionally. She knew it was a little corny and she would never tell them but they were her brothers, her family. They all were. She didn't get to pick them, they just came into her life but she wouldn't have wanted anybody else. They were exactly what she would have asked for if she had known herself well enough to know what to ask for.

The washroom door was pulled open again and Trinity stepped out, her hair wet and a smile on her face. Switch pushed herself off the wall and walked into the washroom, pulling to door shut behind her. Walking over to the basin she quickly cleaned her teeth, trying to focus all her attention onto scrubbing instead of allowing her mind to wander, she needed to relax. Tomorrow was coming whether she liked it or not and she would rather face it well rested. She couldn't be bothered having a shower; she'd had one last night. So she just splashed some water onto her face, finding that the water helped calm her down. Finishing up in the washroom she picked up her small cloth bag she opened the door and stepped out into the hall. Smiling when she saw Trinity waiting for her with Tank and Dozer.

"Okay well, Goodnight you two." Trinity said, turning to look at Tank and Dozer.

"Night." Tank replied, pulling Trinity into a hug, giving her a tight squeeze before letting her go.

Trinity turned to Dozer, seeing his arms wide open to her she fell into them.

"See you tomorrow." she mumbled as she pulled back a moment later.

Switch walked over to Tank who pulled her into a hug as well. She wrapped her arms around his bare waist, her head resting against his chest. She smiled as she hugged him, it was nice to have been so quickly accepted into the friendship he shared with the crew. Pulling back, a smile still on her face she walked over to Dozer and hugged him, her arms barely able to wrap around him. Letting go of him she took a step back to stand next to Trinity. They both gave them a quick wave as they turned to walk down the hall. Opening the door to her room Switch held the door open for Trinity and followed in after her, closing the door behind them. Turning round she made her way over to the bed, flopping down next to Trinity. It was too cold with out her warm clothes on so she wriggled back in the bed until she was sat up against the wall and pulled the covers up to her neck. Trinity copied her and took a seat next to her, snuggling into the worn blanket.

It was nice sitting like this with Trinity, her side pressed up against hers. It was much warmer than being by herself and her mind wasn't racing to other things like it often did when Apoc was with her.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Trinity asked, turning her head to look at Switch.

Switch sighed and pulled her knees up to her chest. She didn't really know where to start. She wanted to talk to her about Apoc, about what Cypher had said, about The One, about the Oracle. But she knew they needed to sleep. Apoc was taking her shift so she could _sleep _not stay up talking so she decide to ask what was most pressing right now.

"What do you think the Oracle will say to me?" she asked, her eyes meeting Trinity's.

Trinity frowned and leaned her head back against the wall. "I don't know…" she muttered, her brows creasing together. "What the Oracle told me had to with The One but you… I honestly don't have a clue." she replied, turning her head to look at Switch.

"What did she tell you?" Switch blurted out, her curiosity getting the better of her.

Trinity lowered her head, her checks turning red. Switch immediately realized that she shouldn't have asked that.

"Sorry." she mumbled. "You don't have to answer that." she apologized, trying to meet Trinity's eye.

Trinity looked up her a small smile on her face. "No, it's okay. Its just I haven't really talked about it with anyone yet." she explained, a nervous tinge in her voice.

Switch looked at her curiously, why had this suddenly made her so nervous?

"Okay." Trinity sighed. "You cannot repeat this to _anyone_. You understand? Not even Apoc." she insisted, straightening up in the bed.

Switch nodded; if Trinity wanted this to stay private then she wouldn't dare betray her trust. She was good at keeping secrets and she felt honored that Trinity trusted her enough to confined one in her.

"The Oracle told me that, that I would fall in love." she began, stuttering slightly. "She told me that man would be the one." she explained, her voice more even than before.

Switch's eyes widened in surprise, she hadn't expected that. How could the Oracle know _that_? Whoever this man was Trinity would fall in love with them? She couldn't wrap her head around the idea of being told who you were going to fall in love with, wasn't that something you decided for yourself? She didn't know what to say, what _could_ she say to that?

"So the Oracle knows for certain what will happen?" she asked, trying to slightly change the topic.

Trinity nodded. "She does. But she only tells you what you need to hear, not necessarily the truth. So whatever she tells you try not to think of it as set in stone. She's just a guide really." Trinity explained, giving her a reassuring smile.

She was again confused by why Trinity felt the need to comfort her, was the Oracle going to say something terrible about her future?

"I'll remember that." she mumbled, turning to give Trinity a small smile.

"Good. But honestly don't worry about it." Trinity replied, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

Switch hugged her back, unable to think of anything else to say.

"Okay so was that all?" Trinity asked, letting go of her. She pushed herself off the wall and turned to sit cross-legged on the bed, facing Switch.

Switch nodded, everything else could wait. They needed to sleep.

Trinity hauled herself off the bed and stood to her feet, swaying slightly.

"Goodnight." Switch called as Trinity made her way towards the door.

"Night." Trinity replied, her hand gripping the door handle. "And you stay here okay? No late night visits to see Apoc." she commanded, a smile forming on her face.

"Okay, okay." Switch laughed, lifting her hands in surrender.

Trinity gave her one last parting glance before she felt the room, closing the door quietly behind her.

Switch slumped down on her bed, pulling the blankets up to her chin and snuggling into her pillow. She closed her eyes, realizing just how tired she was after the days of training. She tried not to thing about tomorrow; worrying wouldn't help. Instead her mind went to Apoc. She smiled at the thought and slowly drifted off to sleep, imagining that he was lying next to her.

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Thanks so much for reading! I can't wait to write the next chapter so you should see an update very soon! xx


	9. The Oracle

Sorry this update wasn't as quick as I had promised, hope you enjoy it though! :) xx

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Switch forced her eyes open as the sound of knocking echoed through her room. She sat up quickly in her bed, feeling her head spin as she did so. She blinked her eyes, trying to clear her vision and stop the room spinning. The thumping on her door was relentless and too urgent to ignore. Pulling herself out of bed she staggered to the door, resting her weight against it as she pulled it open.

"Morning Sunshine." Cypher chucked, finding her disheveled appearance amusing.

"Ugh." she groaned, pushing herself off the edge of the door and standing up straighter.

"We're meeting in ten." Cypher informed her, giving her a tight smile before he walked off down the corridor.

She rubbed her face, trying to wake herself up. Slamming the door shut she stumbled over to the bedside cabinet, pulling it open she took out a change of clothes for the day. She pulled on a pair of jeans along with an undershirt and jumper, as she reached for her boots it clicked that she was going to see the Oracle today. She had so successfully pushed it from her mind that in her tired state she hadn't even thought of it. Buckling up her boots she rushed from the room, feeling suddenly nervous as she made her way towards the mess hall. She knew today was going to be difficult but was ready to face it. By the end of today she would know what she was supposed to do and why she was here. She had learnt so much already but it would be different learning about her own personal future. She didn't know what to expect but was grateful that she'd had a good nights rest, she had a feeling she was going to need it.

Walking into the mess hall she saw that everyone was already seated around the table, slowly eating their way through breakfast. There was an almost tangible excitement in the room, which was rare for an early morning breakfast. Apoc looked up when he saw her enter, a smile forming on his face. She smiled back at him, grinning from ear to ear. She hadn't seen him since dinner last night and while that wasn't very long ago she had missed their usual way of saying goodnight to each other. She would be glad when this Oracle visit was over and things could go back to normal, or as normal as they could be onboard the Neb.

Trinity tapped the bench next to her, gesturing for Switch to take a seat. She quickly crossed the room and swung herself onto the edge of the bench, seeing a bowl of slop already set at the table for her. Smiling at the small gesture she watched the others sat around the table. She looked over at Tank and Mouse who were talking animatedly about something. They were making Dozer and Apoc laugh along with them and even Cypher had a smile on his face. Morpheus looked deep in thought, his eyes on Mouse, he must be thinking about what the Oracle could say to him. Trinity sat quietly eating, occasionally looking across at Switch but other than that distant from the others. Switch remembered what Trinity had told her last night and could understand why that could be troubling her. Honestly if the Oracle was going to tell her something like that she wasn't sure if she wanted to hear it. Sometimes its easier to not know what's coming, to be able to live each day as it comes, without such a set event in your life. When she had met Apoc everything had happened so quickly but it had felt natural, something that had surprised her. She could imagine that knowing something like what Trinity knew could make it feel forced. She didn't envy her.

Morpheus cleared his throat and stood to his feet, silencing everyone at the table.

"Dozer, when you're finished bring the ship up to broadcasting depth. Tank, load up the data probes." Morpheus asked, looking at each of them in turn. "We're going in." he added, turning to look at Mouse and Switch. With that he left the room and walked out into the core, headed towards the monitors.

Tank and Dozer jumped to their feet, Tank giving Mouse an encouraging slap on the back when he saw the confused look on his face. Cypher stood up and walked out after them without looking back at any of them. Trinity climbed over the bench and stood up, turning to look at Apoc. Mouse climbing over the bench caught her attention and she looked around the now almost empty table, it appeared that everyone was eager to get to work.

"Tell Tank to load us up the usual." Trinity asked Apoc. "We'll see to these." she offered, gesturing to the collection of bowls and cups on the table.

"Sure thing." Apoc agreed as he got up from the table. He smiled at Switch before he too left the room, leaving Switch and Trinity alone.

"It'll take a while for them to load up the programing for the Matrix." Trinity explained as she collected several bowls from the table.

Switch nodded as she got up from the table. She grabbed the first few pieces of cutlery she saw and followed Trinity over to the sink. Discarding the collection of bowls and spoons into the water now filling up the sink she turned to Trinity. She was standing by the bench, her eyes on the sink, looking undecided about something.

"You okay Trin?" she asked, tilting her head to look at her.

She nodded, her eyes not meeting Switch's. "Listen… about last night, I'm, I'm glad I told you about what the Oracle said. It just that…" she trailed off, sighing as she rested her palms flat on the bench. Not making any signs of continuing what she was saying.

"Just that?" Switch questioned. She hoped Trinity didn't regret telling her about the Oracle. She had thought they were past this; surely Trinity knew she could trust her?

"Its just that, I feel so weak. I've always been alone. Taken care of myself. And to be told I'm going to fall in love… that I don't have a choice… makes me feel dependent." she replied, her eyes finally meeting Switch's, looking a little self-conscious.

"Your not weak Trin. You're the strongest woman I know-" Switch began.

"Correction, I'm the _only _woman you know." Trinity cut in, a smile creeping onto her face.

"Oh shush." Switch teased, swatting Trinity's arm. "That's not the point. The point is that whatever the Oracle says you still have a choice. That can never be taken from you. But more important than that is something Apoc said to me a while ago." she replied, pausing as she thought how to phrase it. "He said that, that loving someone doesn't make you weak." she continued. "I had never even thought about that before. I had always been alone so I saw love as a weakness but its not. Since meeting all of you I've realized that." she explained, giving Trinity a shy smile.

Trinity stared back at Switch, shocked that she had said that. She had _never_ heard Switch talk about love like that. Whenever anyone even mentioned anything about her and Apoc she would immediately clam up and refuse to talk about it. And yet here she was telling her this. She gave Switch a small smile; she didn't know what to say to that.

"Come on." Switch suggested, knowing that Trinity wasn't willing to talk about this any longer.

Trinity nodded and began to walk towards the door. She stopped dead in her tracks and spun around to look at Switch. "Thank you." she mumbled, taking a deep breath. "And when you put it that way I'm not alone anyway. Not anymore." she stated. "If love makes you weak then I already am." she added, grinning at Switch.

Switch smiled when she realized what Trinity meant. Trinity turned once again to leave the room and she quickly followed her out of the room. She was glad Trinity had told her about what the Oracle had said. She hoped it would make things easier for Trinity knowing she had someone she could talk to.

As they walked out onto the main bridge Switch saw Mouse already seated at one of the data probe chairs, his legs swinging as he excitedly clasped his hands together. Someone was obviously excited. Cypher, Apoc and Morpheus were all crowding around the monitor Tank was seated in front of. Trinity made her way over to them, Switch following behind her. Switch placed her hands on Apoc's shoulders and stood up on her tiptoes to look over his shoulder at what Tank was doing.

"We're ready to go." Dozer called as he climbed down the ladder from the driving cabin.

Cypher and Morpheus walked over to the data probes, each taking a seat on either side of Mouse. Trinity followed them over and took the closest seat, next to Morpheus. Switch looked to Apoc and he took her hand, leading her over to the seat next to Cypher before taking a seat next to her. Sitting down on the cold metal she leaned back into the chair, taking a deep breath to calm herself. She looked over at Apoc and saw he was already staring, a reassuring smile on his face. She grinned back for a moment before lining her head up with the data probe.

"Alright everyone. Enjoy your trip, and don't die." Tank called, grinning at them playfully.

"Oh thanks, that's_ really_ encouraging." Trinity muttered, sitting up to give him a mock stern look.

"Okay thats enough, Tank. Load us up." Morpheus called, ending their small banter.

"Yes, sir." Tank replied, the sound of his fingers clicking across the keys filling the room.

Dozer walked over to Morpheus and plugged him in before he moved onto Trinity and then each of the others in turn. Switch closed her eyes as she heard Dozers heavy tread come up behind her. He forced the probe into her headjack and her face scrunched at the pain. She felt her mind tear from her body before it snapped into the new reality of the Matrix. It hurt less than last time. Trinity and Apoc were right, you did get used to it. She was standing in the same corridor she had found herself in when they had re-entered the Matrix to collect Mouse. She felt more at ease knowing where she was and looking down she noticed that she was wearing the same white suit as before. She could see herself getting used to this. Looking around the room she saw the others standing beside her, all looking virtually the same as last time.

"Trinity. You and I will take them. Apoc. Cypher. You two stay here and guard the exit." Morpheus instructed, ushering them all towards the stairs leading to the ground floor.

They all followed behind him without a word, as they reached the stairs Switch felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning her head around she looked over her shoulder and saw Apoc. She gave him an understanding look before she set her eyes on the stairs in front of her. Right now she needed to focus and so did he. She couldn't allow him to be sentimental. They were going to be fine. Reaching the bottom of the stairs Morpheus walked over to the main entrance and pushed open the once grand double doors. The whole place was a complete wreck, which made it the perfect entrance for them. There was no way anyone would willingly want to come in here. Switch walked through the open doors after Trinity and out into the dim early morning light. She had never been outside in the Matrix before and was hit again with the startling realness of such a fake world. She knew it wasn't even real but she couldn't help feeling better seeing the sky after being on the ship for almost a month and a half now.

"We'll be back in an hour." Morpheus said, turning around to look at Apoc and Cypher who were standing in the doorframe of the hotel.

Switch looked to Apoc, knowing that he couldn't come with her. She saw out of the corner of her eye that Trinity was ushering her over to the car. With one last parting glance at Apoc she rushed over to her. She climbed into the car through the open back door and slid onto the seat next to Mouse. As she pulled the door shut Morpheus hit the accelerator and the car took off down the road. Switch spun round in her seat and looked out the back window, her hand instinctively pressing against the glass as she watched Apoc and Cypher fade out of sight. She turned back around and sunk down into the seat, pushing any thoughts of them from her mind. They would be fine; they had to be. She needed to focus. Mouse looked at her curiously and she remembered that he was the only one who didn't know about her and Apoc, she hoped it stayed that way. She liked Mouse but didn't need another person giving her grief about their relationship.

The car ride when relatively quickly, she hardly even noticed the buildings flashing past her as the car sped along the busy city roads. They stopped at the tail of a traffic jam and she looked out the car window, immediately wishing that she hadn't. Directly across from them was a block of apartments, one of which she had lived in a long time ago. This was a place she would never forget. This was where her life had changed for the better, not by much, but still better. She looked away, not wanting to think about it. That wasn't her life anymore. She remembered what Morpheus had said; she had to let it all go. The car thankfully picked up pace but she didn't dare look out the window again. She felt the car take a sharp turn down a side road and was cast into a dark shadow from the buildings on either side of the narrow street.

"Here we are." Trinity mumbled as the car came to a stop outside an old apartment block.

Switch looked across at Mouse and returned the nervous smile he was giving her. She was just as scared as he was. She didn't know what to expect but she knew she was safe with Trinity and Morpheus. Following Trinity's lead she pushed open the side door and stepped out onto the pavement. She walked over to stand next to Trinity, giving her a small smile. Without a word they followed Morpheus along the pavement and up the steps to the front door of the building. He held the door open for the three of them as they entered into the lobby. Looking around it wasn't what she had expected. The place was a complete dump. There was graffiti on the walls, broken tiles on the floor, and a homeless looking man sitting on a row of seats bolted to the wall. As they approached the man he nodded to Morpheus who returned his greeting. Morpheus proceeded to the elevator, pressing the button before standing to wait patiently. The light of the elevator lit up and a soft dig rang as the doors slid open. Morpheus gestured for her to enter and she walked into the lift. Mouse rushed in with her, sticking as close to her as possible. Morpheus walked in after them, pressing the button for the top floor. As the doors slid closed Trinity smiled at them before the doors blocked her from their view. A moment later the doors opened again and they steeped out into a brightly lit corridor that was just as run down as the one on the bottom level. She stood and awaited Morpheus' direction. There were rows of doors after doors that looked identical; she had never seen an apartment like this before. The corridor seemed to go on forever, she couldn't even see where it ended.

"Mouse. You will go first." Morpheus said, placing an arm around his shoulder as he led him down the hall.

They stopped outside a door identical to all the others, Mouse looked up at Morpheus before he opened he door. He almost jumped with surprise when a black woman opened the door, a welcoming smile on her face.

"Come in Mouse." she said, opening the door wider for him to enter.

Taking a hesitative step forwards he entered the room, the door swinging closed behind him. Morpheus turned and walked back towards Switch, signaling for her to follow him as he sat down on one of the grey plastic seats bolted to the wall. She sat down beside him, trying to stay calm; she didn't need to get worked up over this. She knew she wouldn't have long to wait. They had told Apoc and Cypher they would be back in an hour and it had taken them about twenty minutes to get here. There really wasn't much to look at so instead she rested her head back against the tiled wall and closed her eyes. She wondered what the others were doing. She could only imagine the conversations Apoc and Cypher would be having left waiting on guard duty for a whole hour. She wished she could be there to hear it. She thought of Trinity, she could just picture her having a lovely chat with the man downstairs. Now that she thought about it did that man know about them, about the Matrix? Did the Oracle? Who was this Oracle anyway? Trinity had explained what the Oracle could say to her but not _who_ she was or _what _she was. She didn't have much time to dwell on it as the door opened and Mouse staggered out into the hall, looking very down about something. He obviously hadn't received very good news. Morpheus stood to his feet and Switch did the same, reaching out to give Mouse a rub on the back as he came to stand beside them. He didn't meet her eye.

"You should go." Morpheus mumbled, looking up at Switch.

She nodded to him and slowly walked down the hall, stopping outside the door Mouse had just come out of. Taking a deep breath she turned the door handle, feeling it pull open from a force not her own. The door swung open, revealing the same woman who had greeted Mouse. She stepped forward into the room and the woman closed the door behind her.

"Come with me." she said, placing a hand on Switch's shoulder. The woman led her further into the apartment, stopping when they walked into a small lounge. "Wait here a moment." she requested, turning away from Switch and disappearing down the hall leading off the room they were in.

Switch looked around, this wasn't what she had expected. This place looked normal, what you would expect a typical family home to look like. The room was empty and the only sound to be heard was coming from the small television humming quietly in the corner.

"The Oracle will see you now." said the voice of the woman from before.

Switch jumped in surprise, not having heard the woman re-enter the room. She nodded and walked towards the woman who pointed down the hall, a friendly smile on her face. She stumbled down the hall and walked into a kitchen at the end of the hall. The kitchen was again very normal looking, nothing out of the ordinary. A plump black woman was sat at a small dinning table, a warm smile on her face. She looked at the woman, again surprised. This was nothing like what she had imagined.

"Not what you expected?" the Oracle asked, the same kind smile on her face.

Switch shook her head shyly. She didn't want to be rude but she genuinely hadn't expected this.

"Take a seat won't you dear." she asked, gesturing to the seat opposite her.

Switch slumped down into the chair, not taking her eyes off the Oracle.

"Now." the Oracle began, looking Switch over. "What would you like to know?"

Switch continued to stare, unable to think of anything to say. She hadn't even considered the Oracle asking _her _what she wanted to know. She honestly didn't want to know anything. To her it didn't matter if this was what she was supposed to be doing or not. She had never felt she belonged before now so this had to be where she was supposed to be. She thought about Trinity, what would she want her to ask?

"Trinity told me what you said to her." she blurted out without even thinking.

The Oracle didn't look startled by her out burst but simply nodded. "I know." she said, a small smile returning to her face. "You want to know about The One, don't you?" the Oracle asked.

Switch nodded, she knew that was what would help Trinity the most. Morpheus would also be pleased if she could give him any more information regarding The One.

"Well honey, I'm sorry to break it to you but you don't have an awful lot to do with The One." The Oracle replied, the smile fading from her face. "You will get to meet him though." she added, her face clouding over.

"What is it?" Switch asked, confused by the sudden disheartened expression on the Oracle's face.

"It's such a waste." she sighed; looking at Switch with a pained expression.

Switch simply stared at her; she couldn't work out what the Oracle was going on about. The Oracle made no attempt to continue what she was saying, containing to stare at her with the same disheartened expression.

"What is? Tell me." she almost begged.

The Oracle didn't say anything for a moment, her eyes examining the worried girl in front of her.

"Are you sure you want to hear this?" she asked quietly.

Switch froze, she wasn't sure if she _did _want to know. What the Oracle said had troubled Trinity, what if she said something like that to her? She remembered being asked a similar question by Morpheus the night she had left the Matrix and look where that had led her. She knew she couldn't say no, but she would rather have the truth than live knowing she was blind to something. She slowly nodded her head, preparing herself for whatever the Oracle was going to say.

"Where The One's path begins is where your path ends." she replied, her eyes never leaving Switch's face.

"What?" she asked, not understanding what the Oracle meant.

The Oracle smiled sadly at her but didn't say anything.

Oh. Her path meant her life.

"I'm going to die." she mumbled, her voice barely audible.

"I'm sorry. I hate giving good people bad news." she said kindly, reaching across the table to give Switch's arm a reassuring pat.

She felt numb. All the colour faded from her face as the realization hit her. Her life was going to be cut short and there was nothing she could do about it. She didn't have long left. Her heart started beating faster as if it knew its beats were numbered.

"Why don't you take a cookie?" she asked, gesturing to the plate on the table.

Switch shook her head, the movement bringing her back to her senses. She stood to her feet; she needed to get out of here. She didn't want to risk losing it.

"Poor Morpheus. I'm sending back two crew members with bad news." the Oracle mumbled to herself, standing up also.

Oh god. Mouse. What had she told him?

"It looks like our time is up." the Oracle said, walking round the table to stand next to Switch.

Switch nodded, unable to look at her. The Oracle placed her arm around Switch's shoulder, leading her back through the apartment and towards the front door. Switch forced herself to look at the Oracle; it wasn't her fault that she was going to die. She was just the messenger.

"Thank you." she mumbled, forcing a smile.

The Oracle smiled sadly at her before she walked through the door. She heard it quietly shut behind her and tried to push the new knowledge out of her mind. It didn't change anything. The only change was now she knew. She tried to tell herself that she should be grateful really; if her days were numbered then she wouldn't waste a moment of them.

"Switch." Morpheus called when he saw her.

She tried to smile at them but couldn't find the will to keep it. Morpheus and Mouse got to their feet as she walked over to them. Morpheus gestured for them to follow him over to the elevator. She stood beside Mouse in silence, neither wanting to say anything. As they waited for the elevator she looked sideways at Mouse and her heart went out to him. He looked so frail, even here in the Matrix. She wondered what the Oracle had said to him. Did he too know that he was going to die? She prayed he didn't, that he wouldn't. He was far too young to die.

The almost sadistically pleasant ding of the elevator doors rung through the room and Morpheus walked into the elevator, his cape swirling as he spun around to face the open doors. She steeped into the elevator, followed by Mouse. The doors slid closed, leaving them standing in an eerie silence as they waited for the doors to once again open.

Artificial light filled the small elevator and she quickly stepped out into the lobby. She felt another almost tangible stab of pain when she saw Trinity walking towards them, a smile on her face. She noted that it looked a little out of place on her dressed in a full leather suit with her face concealed by dark glasses. It was then that she realized that if she was going to die then she would die fighting. She knew that was what Trinity would do. Would want _her_ to do. If she was going to go down then she wouldn't go down without a fight. As Trinity reached her, the same smile still on her face, she knew she could never tell her. She couldn't tell any of them.

"You okay?" Trinity asked, placing a hand on Switch's shoulder.

She hadn't realized that she was still staring at Trinity. She nodded before shaking her head softly.

"Yeah I'm fine." she replied, giving her a small smile. As she said it out loud she knew it was true. As long as she was with them she was going to be fine. She didn't care how long she had left as long as the time she did had have she could spend surrounded by the people she loved. She amazed even herself as she thought that, but it was true. She had grown to love them.

She reached out and linked arms with Trinity, who turned to look at her in surprise. She smiled at Trinity as she pulled her towards the door and they walked out, arm in arm, after Mouse and Morpheus. Switch managed to keep a smile on her face, comforted by the fact that soon she would be home and could put this whole thing behind her. She knew she would have to tell Apoc something. If she didn't he would feel a little rejected, not that he would say anything. But there was no way she could tell him the truth. The only way she could survive this was if he remained ignorant. That would be the only way she could stay sane. She felt her heart almost painfully in her chest as she tried to suppress the inevitable. She was torn between the agony she felt knowing how little time she may have left and the bitter sweet joy she felt knowing that she could spend the rest of her life surrounded by the people who meant the most to her. If she was going to meet The One then she would have to be involved in the search. That meant that she had to be able to live out the rest of her life on the Neb. As harsh as the news was at least she had that to comfort her.

They stepped out onto the porch and descended down the stairs, making their way back over to the car. She stumbled along the pavement and was glad her arm was still firmly linked with Trinity's or else she may have fallen over. When they reached the car Trinity released her arm and she climbed into the back seat next to Mouse. Once they were all seated Morpheus spun the car around and sped off down the deserted road. They all sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. The car pulled back out onto the main street and Morpheus weaved the car through the traffic, trying to get back to the exit as soon as possible. Eventually the surrounding buildings started to dwindle in number as they made their way out of town until the car finally pulled up outside the familiar abandoned hotel.

Switch couldn't keep a smile off her face when she saw Apoc standing just inside the door of the building. She kicked the side door open and jumped out of the car, rushing over to him. She almost tripped over her own feet as she sprinted up the stairs to the front door. She threw her arms around a very startled Apoc, feeling better already now that she was back with him.

"Hey." he laughed, wrapping his arms around her now that he had recovered from the shock. "I missed you too." he added, assuming that was why she was so eager to see him.

She pulled back to look at him before letting him go, realizing that the others were staring at them.

Trinity, Mouse and Morpheus had also come over to join them, each of them looking at the pair in a mixture of surprise and confusion.

A shrill ring of a phone made Switch turn to look towards the stairs.

"Right on time." Morpheus muttered as he dashed over to the stairs, not wanting to miss the first exit.

They all rushed up the stairs behind him, automatically falling into a casual formation. Walking across the hall Morpheus picked up the phone from the small side table. He held the phone out to Trinity, a small smile on his face. Trinity grasped the receiver and held it to her ear, her body dematerializing as the metal made contact with her skin.

Switch looked to Apoc as they waited for Tank to dial up again. A moment later the phone once again rang, returning Mouse safely to Matrix, then again for Cypher. The phone received its fourth call and Morpheus held the phone out to Switch. She took it, her eyes on Apoc as she disappeared from the virtual world.

Her eyes snapped open as her mind returned to reality. She sat up and looked over at Apoc's body still jacked into the Matrix. His eyes flickered open as he turned to look at her, a relieved smile on his face. They were back. Switch jumped to her feet and turned to look at Trinity who had already rushed over to Tank. Cypher and Mouse had also wandered over to the monitors. Switch looked over at Morpheus who was just getting to his feet. She wasn't sure what to do exactly, it felt odd being back in such a normal environment. Looking around the ship it looked exactly the same as it had this morning and yet everything had changed. Her whole life had been shaken up in the space of an hour.

"Dozer. Can you take the next shift?" Morpheus asked, turning to look at him.

"Sure thing." he replied, turning to look at Morpheus.

"Thank you." he replied, giving Dozer a quick nod. "Alright the rest of you into the mess hall. We need to discuss where to go from here." Morpheus instructed, gesturing for them to follow him as he walked across the main bridge.

Switch looked to Mouse and found his worried eyes in small crowd heading towards the mess hall. She weaved around Cypher and Tank and made her way over to him, slipping her arm through his she gave him a reassuring smile. He turned to look at her, clinging tighter onto her arm. If his news had been as bad as hers then he could really use the support. He had only been unplugged for a few days and this would just be another blow to him. They walked into the mess hall and Switch took a seat opposite Morpheus. Mouse sat down next to her, not releasing his hold on her arm. Apoc came and sat down next to her while Trinity seated herself on the other side of Mouse. Cypher and Tank took their places on either side of Morpheus. From the expression on Morpheus face she knew this was going to be a long talk, she just hoped he wouldn't press her or Mouse for information regarding the Oracle visit. If he wanted news of The One then he would be disappointed.

Morpheus looked at Switch and Mouse for a moment unsure what to ask them. He normally wouldn't ask his crew to reveal anything they had been told by the Oracle. That was private. But they were getting desperate for any news of The One. They hadn't found any new leads in weeks and were no closer to discovering The One than they had been months ago. Morpheus cleared his throat as he thought how to best phrase what he wanted to ask.

"How did the visit go?" Morpheus asked, deciding that a direct approach would work as well as any other.

Mouse looked to Switch, his eyes asking her to answer.

"It went okay." she mumbled, trying to side step the question. "I asked her about The One." she added so her answer didn't come across as uninterested or deliberately unhelpful.

"What did she say?" Tank asked eagerly, looking across at her expectantly.

"Well she umm…she said that…that I would get to meet him but…" she stuttered before trailing off.

"But?" Cypher pressed, trying to coax it out of her.

"But at first I wouldn't know he was The One." she replied. That was as close to the truth as she could get.

Morpheus nodded before resting his head in his hands. He looked up at Mouse, his eyes questioning him.

"She didn't tell me anything." Mouse mumbled, his words almost inaudible.

Morpheus again nodded softly, giving Mouse a sad smile. He sat up straighter and looked around the table.

"Morpheus." Trinity said, gaining the attention of everyone at the table. "We need to come to a decision about the girl." she reminded him.

Switch turned to stare at Trinity, confused as to what on earth was she going on about.

"Honestly I'm with Trin. No disrespect, but I can't see _her_ being The One." Tank replied, giving Trinity a knowing look.

"Who?" Switch blurted out, her confusion getting the better of her.

"At the moment we are monitoring three potentials but Tank and Trinity aren't convinced on one of them." Morpheus explained.

"Neither am I." Cypher added, giving Trinity a small smile.

"Maybe letting the Novalis take her out would be a good idea." Apoc amended as Morpheus opened his mouth to object.

Trinity looked a little embarrassed but was hiding it well. Switch couldn't help but smile, if only Morpheus knew what she knew. Poor Trinity, it would must be awkward knowing that everyone here was discussing the potential love of your life.

"Very well." Morpheus sighed. "I will inform Tirant that his crew can take her out." he mumbled, looking unsure.

"Trust me Morpheus. She's not The One." Trinity assured him, giving him a small smile.

Switch suppressed a laugh, for Trinity sake. She knew how true that was. Whoever this girl was she _definitely _wasn't the one for Trinity.

"And then there were two…" Tank mumbled, looking across at Trinity.

So they had narrowed it down to two? That was pretty impressive, if one of them was The One that is. If they were wrong on both accounts then not so impressive.

"Hardly. There's only one real choice." Cypher noted, looking across at Tank.

"People have been ejected over the age limit before. You know that better than any of us." Tank retorted, giving Cypher a grin.

"I wouldn't recommend it." Cypher muttered.

"What age limit?" Mouse asked, looking at Tank in bewilderment.

"We never free a mind once its reached a certain age." Morpheus explained.

"Twenty-five to be exact. We usually aim for around twenty though." Trinity added.

Switch had never even thought about that before but it made sense, the longer you were inside the Matrix the more attached you would get to it.

"Yeah and if you eject someone over that it sure as hell isn't easy. For anyone." Tank replied, giving Cypher a meaningful look.

"Were you ejected over age?" Mouse asked, clueing onto what Tank was implying.

Cypher nodded. "I was almost twenty-nine when they got me out." Cypher replied, his eyes on Mouse.

"When we were monitoring him we knew he had changed his name to escape imprisonment but we didn't realize that he had changed his age too." Trinity explained, not allowing Mouse to get the wrong idea. They wouldn't purposefully eject someone who was over age.

Switch looked at Cypher in surprise, he had never mentioned anything about that before.

"Why can't you be ejected when you're older?" Mouse asked, not seeing what age had to do with being ejected.

"The mind has trouble letting go." Morpheus stated, he tone ending any further questions.

"But that's beside the point. We're running out of time. We need to do something." Morpheus added, rubbing the side of his chin.

"The younger one is our best bet." Tank suggested.

Switch looked to Trinity, she knew that when it came to The One her opinion was the only one that really mattered.

"The older one has shown more promise though." Trinity objected. She didn't know why but she felt compelled towards the older one, all she knew about him was what she could read from the streams of green code and yet even that drew her in. She wouldn't dare say anything about that to any of them though, not even Switch.

"We will continue to monitor both of them extensively but we will have to make a decision soon." Morpheus explained, looking around the table at each of them, his eyes lingering on Trinity.

It has become obvious to all of them that she was the most invested in the search, after Morpheus, but only Switch knew the real reason.

"On that note." Morpheus continued. "I am going to help Dozer set up two monitors to watch each of them continuously. From now on we must keep a close eye on them, they are far to valuable to risk being caught by agents." Morpheus explained as he stood to his feet.

"I'll give you a hand setting up the connections." Tank offered, jumping to his feet.

"I'm coming with you." Trinity added as she too got up from the table.

The three of them walked towards the door but Trinity spun around at the last second to look back at the rest of them still seated at the table.

"You two have had a tough morning. Just take it easy okay?" she asked, smiling kindly at Switch and Mouse.

Mouse nodded, giving her a small genuine smile. Trinity smiled back at him before she turned on her heel and disappeared out the door. Switch looked to Mouse sitting next to her, she needed to talk to him. But she couldn't do that with Apoc and Cypher there. She had never had to think of a way to get rid of Apoc before; it had always been him she had wanted to get alone. Then again she had never had any secrets that she had wanted to keep from him until now.

"Why don't you go with them?" she asked, turning to look at Apoc.

"They don't really need my help…" he trailed off, his eyes questioning her.

She didn't want him to feel like she was getting rid of him but right now Mouse needed her. She knew that he would want to talk with her about this; she had a feeling that they were dealing with very similar realizations.

"Okay, its up to you. I'm going to go take a shower now though." she decided, a plan forming in her mind.

"I'll go see of they need any help then. Come get me when you're ready?" he suggested. "If you want to." he added, not wanting to come across to strong. she didn't have to be around him if she didn't want to.

"Sounds good." she agreed, smiling at him before she got to her feet.

"I think a shower would be a good idea. Might help clear my head." Mouse mumbled as he also stood up.

"Lets go then." she replied, linking arms with Mouse as they walked out of the mess hall.

She looked over her shoulder as she left the room, giving Apoc a reassuring smile before Mouse pulled her from the room. They dashed across the main bridge and down into the corridor of their dormitories. By some unsaid agreement they walked straight into the bathroom, locking the door behind them. Switch turning around to look at Mouse seeing unhidden fear and anguish in his eyes. She wasn't sure what she could say to make this any better. Instead she pulled him into a hug, resting her head on his shoulder.

"What did she tell you?" he whispered into her ear, his voice breaking as he asked her.

"That I am going to die." she mumbled into his shirt. She knew they had to keep quiet, these walls weren't particularly sound proof and they didn't want there to be even a chance of them being overheard. His grip on her tightened when he heard what she said.

"So am I." he murmured, gently rubbing her back.

"We can't tell anyone." she replied, pulling away enough to look at him.

He nodded, he knew just as well as she did that telling anyone would only make everything that much more difficult. They stood there for an immeasurable amount of time, neither wanting to pull away. She felt awful about it but she was almost glad she had someone else in the same position as her. If she could save Mouse from this fate she would in a heartbeat but she couldn't. There was nothing they could do.

"We better go." Switch sighed, pulling back until she was only holding his forearms.

He nodded, still looking detached as he did so.

"Remember what I said on your fist night, my room is right next to yours if you need anything." she tried to assure him.

"Thank you." he muttered, forcing a smile. "You know this has been the best and worst week of my entire life." he chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

"It's been over a month for me and I could say the same thing." she replied, shaking her head softly.

She couldn't believe he had only been awake on the Neb for a week, so much had happened in that short amount of time. She could only image what she would have reacted like if this had been her first week in the real world. She knew for a fact she wouldn't have handled it anywhere near as well as Mouse had. She doubted whether _any_ of them would have.

"There going to need our help. With the search and whatever that is going to lead to." she whispered, gesturing towards the door behind them. "We have to put this behind us." she suggested, even though she knew that would be almost impossible.

"It already is behind us. What happened this morning, happened, and whatever is coming is going to come. There is nothing we can do to change it." he replied, his voice more determined than it had been before.

She looked at him in a mixture of surprise and respect, she had underestimated him. He was stronger than she had given him credit for. She stood there, unable to think of anything to say back to that.

"I wasn't kidding about that shower." he added, knowing she was at a loss.

She couldn't help a smile forming on her face at his comment. "Neither was I." she chuckled.

"Ready?" he asked, gesturing towards the door. "I didn't bring my stuff with me." he explained.

She nodded softly, still smiling at him. He smiled back at her little more enthusiastically this time and took one of her hands into his own as he walked over to the door.

"By the way, that was quick thinking back in the mess hall." he said as he reached out to turn the handle of the door.

"Thanks. It was the first thing I thought of. Honestly I'm surprised we actually got away with it." she replied with a soft chuckle.

"Yeah, Apoc sure doesn't like letting you out of his sights." Mouse teased, nudging her in the ribs.

Mouse pulled the door open and stepped out into the hall, Switch's hand still held in his as he led her back to her own room. They both stopped dead in their tracks when they saw someone standing just outside the door.

Cypher stared at the pair of them in a mixture of shock and disdain. Switch immediately let go of Mouse's hand and stepped away from him, trying to keep her face calm. She mentally kicked herself for not being more careful; this could look very wrong in Cypher's eyes. She looked across the hall at Cypher, giving him a nervous smile. He raised his eyebrows at her, a questioning look on his face.

"It's not what it looks like." she mumbled, looking him dead in the eye. She knew what he would be thinking and didn't want him spreading this around.

"Of course its not…" he trailed off, giving her a knowing look.

"It isn't." Mouse protested, turning bright red when he realized what Cypher was implying.

"No need to get defensive. Don't worry, your secrets safe with me." he assured them, a smug smile on his face.

"There is no secret for you to keep. We didn't do anything." Switch retaliated, her voice rising. She was starting to get pissed with Cypher and his shrewd comments. He always seemed to be lurking around and had a way of seeing or hearing things that he shouldn't. But she was also annoyed with herself, she always seemed to get caught out by Cypher.

"Uh-Huh." he nodded, his voice becoming increasingly patronizing. His eyes flickered between Mouse and Switch before his gaze focused on the now closed bathroom door. "I know what I saw." he continued, the same smug smile on his face.

"You didn't see anything." she snapped, her eyes narrowing at him.

"Oh didn't I? Alright then. I'll just go ask Apoc what he thinks of this. That wont be a problem if this is 'nothing' then, will it?" he asked, his voice almost threatening.

"You wouldn't dare." Mouse hissed back at him.

"Watch me." he stated as he turning on his heel and slowly took a step down the corridor.

"Okay, wait." Switch sighed, knowing she would have to come up with some way to keep him quiet.

She didn't know what to do. She didn't want to begin a web of secrets, especially not with Cypher at the heart of them. But if she didn't what would Apoc think? She hadn't done anything, hadn't even _thought _about anything in that way. And she never would. It was a little disgusting for Cypher to even assume they had; Mouse was almost four years younger than her. But if Cypher told Apoc she would have to come up with something to explain her actions and there was no way she could tell him the truth. Not this time. This was one secret that she had to keep, not only for her own sake but also for Mouse's.

"Please don't tell him." she pleaded, her voice coming out much weaker than she had wanted it to. But she couldn't help it, if Apoc thought she had done something with Mouse it would crush him. She loved him and could bear it if something came between them. She felt salty tears prick her eyes but kept them under control.

"Alright." Cypher sighed as he turned back around to face her. "But you should tell him. You mean an awful lot to him and he should know those feeling clearly aren't returned." he suggested, his tone undecipherable.

"What?" she gasped, looking at him in horror. That was the most twisted statement she had ever heard come out of Cyphers mouth.

"You want me to stay out of this? Fine." he replied, lifting his hands in surrender. "I'll leave it up to you three." he continued as he walked down the hall. "I will however be_ very_ interested to see how this plays out." he added as he reached the end of the hall.

He gave them one final smug grin before he pushed open the door and walked out onto the main bridge. The door slammed shut and Switch turned to Mouse in complete shock.

"Shit." Mouse muttered to himself, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"Oh god, Mouse. What the hell am I going to do?" she asked, her voice breaking as she slid down the wall. She sat with her back pressed up against the wall and pulled her knees to her chest.

"I don't know." Mouse sighed as he copied her position against the opposite wall.

His knees just touched hers as they sat in the cold corridor. She was grateful for him company, at least she wasn't alone.

"Cypher's going to hold this over us." she mumbled, looking across at Mouse.

"I can't believe this. We're really stuck now aren't we?" he asked, a small smile on his face.

She chuckled, shaking her head sadly. "We can't tell the truth and lying makes it all look so much worse. That doesn't give us any easy way out of this." she grumbled, hiding her face in her knees.

"There's nothing we can do now." he muttered, giving her arm a quick pat.

"I know. But what if Cypher tells Apoc?" she asked, lifting her head to look at him.

"I don't know. But I have a feeling that if it comes to that Apoc will trust your word over Cypher's." he tried to reassure her.

Mouse had a point; Apoc would trust her over Cypher. But that was what was bothering her the most; if she had to lie to him he would believe it. She couldn't do that to him, it would be a violation of the trust he had put in her. But she would have to, just this once. She sat there in silence, somewhat comforted by Mouse's presence. It wasn't an intrusion in anyway; they were in this mess together. She couldn't believe how quickly her problems had mounted up. She almost found this more difficult than the news the Oracle had given her, mainly because she was cause of all of this and she had dragged Mouse into it. She hadn't seen herself and Mouse becoming very good friends and yet now she couldn't see things turning out any other way. There were some things you couldn't go through with out becoming friends; coming to the realization of your eminent death was one of them.

"Switch." Mouse ventured, pulling her out of her thought.

"Yeah?" she questioned, tilting her head to look at him.

"I was, well, I was just wondering about you and Apoc… your together aren't you?" he asked, his voice coming out shaky from his nervousness, he didn't want her to think he was being rude.

She nodded quickly, giving him a reassuring smile. "We are." she confirmed, unable to keep a tone of excitement out of her voice. There was something special about being able to say she was actually with someone, that she belonged to someone. It made her feel almost important, knowing that she _was_ important to someone.

"Apoc is very lucky to have you." Mouse noted, looking up to meet her eyes.

"Thank you, Mouse." she mumbled, lowing her eyes as her checks burned. Mouse could be so sweet at times. She wasn't sure if he was just saying that but she appreciated it anyway.

"We better have that shower or else the others might also start wondering what were up to." Mouse suggested as he hauled himself off the ground.

Switch nodded as Mouse offered his hands to her. She took his hands and he pulled her to her feet. She let go of him and took a step towards her door.

"You can go first." Mouse offered. "So you can get back to Apoc." he added, a small smile on his face.

She nodded again and returned his smile as she pushed open the door to her room. Shutting the door behind her, she smiled to herself as she walked over to her bedside cabinet. As she knelt down beside the small cabinet the events of the day played over in her mind. She could see Trinity's smile as she walked towards her after the Oracle visit. Apoc's surprised face when she had run into his arms. Tank's laugh as he had warned them not to die in the Matrix. Dozer's apologetic look as he had tried to be gentle even when plugging in her data probe. Mouse's face when they had been sitting out in the hall. She almost cried as each small memory hit her but she tried to pull herself together. She shouldn't look at them in that way, they were all happy memories. She couldn't allow this knowledge of her death to tarnish them. If she was to truly live then she couldn't allow death to shadow her life, she would attempt to live in ignorance and without fear of the inevitable. Taking out what she needed from the cupboard she stood to her feet, forcing herself to be strong. She couldn't break down, not now. She knew that her time left was going to be tough; they still had a mission to complete. She was going to help find The One if it was the last thing she did. She almost laughed at the cliché thought, there were no if's about it. This was her final act. Walking across her room she pulled open the door and walked out into the hall, leaving any thoughts of her death behind her.

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Thanks so much for reading! This chapter is the end of what I'm calling the 'development stage' coming up next is the 'action stage' where the search for The One is well and truly underway! So expect to see a lot more action coming up (and of course plenty of drama and romance). Anyway hope you enjoyed and please review, they really make my day! :) xx


	10. Keeping it together

Hey Readers! Sorry this update has taken so long, its been a busy week for me with exams looming -_- So updates may be a little slow for the next two weeks but after that my attention can return to this story! This chapter isn't my best work but it's needed to make the next few chapters make any sense. Anyway, I hope you still like it! :) xx

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Switch quickly pulled her jumper back over her head and shoved her arms through the sleeves as she walked towards the closed door of the washroom. She felt a bit better after a shower and change of clothes; it was like a fresh start to a very difficult day, one that was far from over. She sighed to herself and shock her head sadly as she reached out to open the door, she couldn't believe how fast the day had gone. That was a frightening thought, knowing how few days she may have left. It was probably only around midafternoon and but she had already done so much. They had all re-entered the Matrix earlier this morning, she had met with the Oracle, learnt the truth about her future, and gotten herself into a complete mess with Mouse and Cypher which she didn't have a clue how to solve. The events all seemed to blur together and she was left feeling a little amazed that it had all happened in only the past few hours.

Pushing open the door of the washroom she stepped out into the corridor, mentally preparing herself to face the others. She could only imagine the scrutiny she was going to get from Cypher. Looking up from the floor she saw that Mouse was still standing in the hall waiting of her. She knew this wouldn't be the last time they talked about their looming deaths; they were going to need to pact together if they were going to make it through the times coming. She needed him just as much as he needed her, because this was something they were only willing to confide in each other.

"Feeling better?" he asked as she came to stand beside him, giving her shoulder a quick squeeze.

She nodded, the movement bringing her back to her senses. "Yeah I'm fine. I'll meet you back out on the main bridge when your finished." she offered, gesturing to the door at the end of the hall.

"Sounds good." he agreed, smiling as he turned away from her and walked into the washroom.

Once the door closed behind him she turned and ambled down the hall, stopping outside the door leading onto the main bridge. Taking a deep breath she reached out and turned the leaver to open the heavy metal door. She tried to keep her face calm; she couldn't let on how she was feeling but more importantly she could let Cypher make her look suspicious, especially after what he thought he had seen. She hoped Cypher would let this slide but she had a feeling that wouldn't be the case. As she steeped out onto the main bridge she saw Trinity sat in front of the monitors, her eyes on the two screens running coding. They must be the displays Tank had set up to watch the two 'potentials' as Morpheus had put it. She couldn't fight her curiosity and quickly dashed over to Trinity.

"Hey, Trin." she called, as she came to stand behind her.

"Oh, hey." Trinity replied, spinning around in her chair to look at Switch, a surprised smile on her face.

She couldn't help but notice that Trinity looked a little flustered as she peered over her shoulder to look at the coding she was watching. She knew why, it must be awkward knowing that you could be practically stalking your future lover. She knew why they had to keep an eye on them but she had to admit it was a little creepy. She hadn't asked if they had been monitoring her for a long time and honestly didn't want to know. It was disconcerting to think about someone watching your every movement.

"Are these the ones you think might be the one?" she asked, pointing at two screens standing out amongst the collection of monitors. She knew they were, she wasn't that unobservant but she couldn't think of anything else to say to make conversation.

"Uh-huh." she nodded. "This is Neo." she explained, tapping the screen on her right. "And this is Drive." she said, gesturing the screen on her left.

"Which is the younger one?" she questioned; if she was going to be involved in this search then she wanted to learn as much as she possibly could. Tank had seemed eager on ejecting the younger one and she could understand why; it wasn't a good idea to eject someone over age. Cypher was a prime example of that and apparently he was one of the more minor cases. She could only image how bad some of the sever cases must be. Cypher wasn't that bad really, he hadn't shown any signs of homicidal tendencies which others apparently had but he was still a pain to live with.

"Drive is. He's twenty." she replied, her eyes now locked on his screen.

"Same age as you. That's a good starting point." Switch smirked, nudging her shoulder. She knew she was being a tease for bringing that up but couldn't help it, she was starting pick up Tank's bad habit of joking at the worst possible times.

"Shh." she hissed, her hand covering Switch's mouth. She didn't want to risk the possibility of someone overhearing anything to do with her and the one. She had managed to keep it under wraps for almost a year and wasn't going to slip up now. "You can't talk about that. Ever." she warned, glaring up at Switch but there was still a hint of humor in her eyes.

Switch nodded slightly and Trinity pulled her hand away. "Sorry." she muttered, a sheepish smile creeping onto her face.

"Honestly, your getting to be as bad as Tank. This is why I didn't tell him." she grumbled but was unable to stop the corners of her lips turning upwards as she thought about what Tank would say if he knew about this.

"What about Neo?" she asked, trying to changing the topic.

"He's twenty-seven." she replied, her eyes flicking over to his monitor. She found that her eyes always seemed to linger on his screen for longer than necessary; his coding was far less interesting than Drive's and yet she was somehow fascinated by his seemingly dull existence.

"So what are you watching for?" Switch asked, pulling over the spare chair Dozer usually used. She sat down on the chair backwards, one leg on either side of the backrest and she rested her arms on the head of the chair, looking curiously at Trinity.

"Everything. What their doing, where their going, who their seeing." she mumbled as her she forced her eyes to travel between each screen. "We're mainly watching for Agents though, there the single most dangerous threat to them while inside the Matrix." she explained, turning to look at Switch.

She nodded before resting her chin on her forearms, her eyes glued to the nearest monitor. She was getting used to seeing everything in code and could tell that this young man, Drive, was at some kind of party.

"Do you have any idea what their like?" she thought out loud. Trinity had probably gotten a feel of what they were like after all the hours she had spent watching them. While she had obviously never met them in person she must have picked up enough from watching their every move, probably more than she would have if she actually knew them.

"We've been searching through their files and found out a little bit about their past." she replied. "Drive's real name is Andrew Baker. He came from a big family of four children and is currently working as a managing consultant for a computer manufacturing company. He's exceptionally rich and lives in one of his parents many houses, and he racks in enough money to more than pay for his indulgent lifestyle." she explained. "He's social, smart, and from his coding appears to be tall and muscular with blond hair and blue eyes." she continued, highlighting pieces of the code as she spoke.

"Not at all your type then." she whispered, giving Trinity a knowing look. He sounded great, friendly, rich, good-looking, and smart. He_ could _be a potential match for Trinity but he would have to get through her first. She wasn't going to let any old sod get with Trinity; he would have to prove himself first. She knew Trinity wouldn't like it if she knew that she felt protective over her but that wasn't go to stop her. Trinity was like a sister to her and she was going to look out for her whether she liked it or not.

Trinity shook her head, an almost disgusted expression on her face. He was definitely_ not_ her type.

"No?" Switch questioned, raising an eyebrow at Trinity.

"Not a chance." she mumbled. "He's far_ too_ friendly." she muttered, her eyes narrowing on his screen. "Especially with the ladies…" she trailed off, a small frown forming on her face.

"What?" she asked, titling her head in confusion.

"Watch. You'll see." she directed, pointing at the screen before folding her arms in aggravation.

She watched Drive's monitor for a moment, he had left the party now and had some blond ditz in tow. She scanned through to code as the pair walked back to what appeared to be a huge mansion. Trinity was right about the house, the coding for the place practically screamed money. Eventually the pair made their way to what she assumed was Drive's room and she looked away from the screen. Even though it was only coding she knew where _that_ was headed.

"Ugh. Disgusting." she muttered, shaking her head at the screen. That was the end of him, no way would that prick get anywhere near Trinity.

"Agreed. And he does the same thing almost every night." she retorted, her eyes locking with Switch's.

They shared a repulsed look, men like that were disgusting. How the hell could Morpheus even _think_ that _he_ could be the one?

"What about the other one?" Switch asked, shuffling her chair around so she could look at the other monitor. Surely at least one of them had to semi-decent.

"Neo's real name is Thomas Anderson. He lives alone now; his family has been dead for years. He works for a computer program company called MetaCortex." she explained, her eyes transfixed on the screen in front of her.

Switch raised her eyebrows at Trinity, not that she could see, her attention was consumed by the running coding of this man Neo.

"He's also a hacker selling contraband programming." she continued, excitement seeping into her voice. "And he is one of the most antisocial people I've seen. His coding says he is tall with dark hair and eye colorings." she added, her eyes never once leaving the screen.

Switch smiled to herself; Trinity clearly had a soft spot for this hacker. He sounded much better than Drive but that wasn't a hard feat. She looked at the screen for a moment, a wary expression on her face. If this Neo was the one then he better watch out because he was going to get hell from her and the rest of the crew before he got _anywhere_ near Trinity.

"He seems nice." she mumbled, she had to give to poor guy the benefit of the doubt, for now anyway.

"Yeah." Trinity nodded, blinking as she pulled out of her absorbed state. She turned away from the screen to look at Switch, giving her a small smile.

"But the others all seemed adamant on getting Drive out because of his age." Switch whispered, shuffling her chair closer to Trinity's.

"I know…" she sighed, resting her head in her hands. "But they're just looking at it from a tactical point of view." she explained, knowing that their view on this was completely different to hers and Switch's.

"So 'tactically' speaking won't they take Drive out and realize he's not the one and then try Neo. And if it's neither of them start from scratch?" Switch asked; that would be the most logical way of tackling this. But also a waste of time, Drive had no chance in hell of being the one.

Trinity nodded; Switch had, in short, summed up Morpheus' plan for finding the one. It wasn't the best but it was all they had to go on.

"Morpheus is eager to take Drive out, mainly because he want to try _something. _We haven't had any luck with our search so far and were running out of time. I think Morpheus has more faith in Neo being the one but we will have to return to Zion before we can even attempt to unplug him. Which is why we haven't made any contact with him yet." she explained, trying to reason Morpheus decisions. She knew she would have plenty more of that to do when they broke the news to the rest of the crew. She had a feeling that Tank and Dozer would be on board with whatever Morpheus' plan was but the others were going to need some convincing.

"Why do we have to go to Zion?" she asked, she felt bad about it but she was suddenly excited about the idea of a trip to Zion. Not because of the search but because of what Apoc had said about it…

"Morpheus would have to appear before Council and request for the permission to eject an over age bluepill. I don't know what they will say but I think the council is becoming as desperate as is Morpheus when it comes to the search." she replied, her brows fusing together as she thought it over. Surely they would allow them to take him out, one or not she would like to meet Neo.

"So really were just going to have to try and take Drive out knowing that he isn't the one?" she questioned, it would be such a waste of time. It didn't take a genius to notice that Trinity felt _something_ for this Neo.

She froze. Time. A waste of time. That was exactly what she needed; each failed attempt would prolong her death for a little longer. She should be trying to delay this as long as possible. Getting Neo out could wait, she still had plenty of things she wanted to do before she died.

"Drive may still be the one. I could be wrong." Trinity mumbled, her voice lacking any conviction in her claim.

"Yeah, he could be." she agreed, her voice as unconvincing as Trinity's. "But if what the Oracle said to you was true then I seriously doubt it." she added, giving Trinity a knowing smile.

"True, but for Morpheus' sake we at least have to try. We can think of this as like a test run." Trinity amended, returning Switch's smile.

"Sounds like a plan. Do you have any idea when Morpheus is going to want to put this plan into action?" she asked, hoping that he would want to wait a while.

"That's what we were looking into while Mouse was being trained and by the sounds of it he's eager to try as soon as possible." she replied, her eyes returning to Drive's screen. "He's planned it all out, down to the to tiniest detail. He's desperate alright." she chuckled, shaking her head sadly.

Switch opened her mouth to reply as the sound of scrapping metal made them both spin around and look at the dormitory door opening out onto the main bridge.

Mouse's tiny figure peered out from around the corner and he quietly stepped through the door before closing it tightly behind him, looking absolutely terrified. She knew why, anything could have happened while he was in the shower. She hadn't even seen Cypher yet but if had said something to Apoc then Mouse should be scared. Cypher had a way of putting a nasty spin on the stories he told and she didn't even what to imagine how he could have made what he saw sound like. That was her main reason for staying out on the main bridge with Trinity. Everyone else was in the mess hall, judging by the talking she could her through the closed door, and she wasn't eager to join them.

Mouse stayed glued to the closed door, his eyes darting between Switch and the door leading into the mess hall, not daring to move towards either of them.

"Hey, Mouse." Trinity called, giving him a friendly smile as she waved to him.

"Hi." he mumbled, taking a hesitate step towards them.

"You okay?" Trinity questioned, her eyes studying his panicky expression.

Switch smiled reassuringly at him, she could tell Mouse had been in situations like this before. She didn't know much about Mouse's old life but could imagine that he had been abused quite badly back in the Matrix. She could tell by the way he moved, it was like he thought the people around him were wild animals that could lash out at any moment. She had a feeling that her and Mouse both knew well what it felt like to be the weaker individual who could only rely on the humanity of others. She knew because she had spent her life at the mercy of men who took advantage of those they deemed to be weaker than themselves. She had quickly learnt that those men existed outside the Matrix just as much as they did inside it.

"Yeah, I'm fine." he replied, nodding his head forcefully. Switch's calm state reassured him slightly, she didn't seem to be worried about what Cypher or Apoc were going to do.

Trinity smiled back at him, nodding but not really believing him. She knew something was going on with him and Switch, something that started right after the Oracle visit. She hadn't asked either of them about it and wasn't planning on it. Whatever they were dealing with was their business and she knew better that to get involved.

"The others when for lunch a while ago, their probably playing cards now. You two should go get some lunch too and join them." Trinity suggested, nudging Switch out of her chair.

"You sure?" Switch asked as she stood to her feet, she didn't want to leave Trinity alone but more importantly didn't want to face Cypher quiet yet.

"Yeah, I already ate while Tank was setting these up." she explained gesturing to the screens in front of her.

"Ooh. Are those the possible ones?" Mouse asked, excitedly leaning over Trinity's shoulder to get a better look. His eyes scanned over the coding frantically as he tried to take in the information.

"They sure are." she confirmed, moving to the side in her chair to let him have a better look.

His eyes continued to scrutinize the screens for a moment before his checks turned bright red. He let out a gasp of surprise and looked at Trinity in horror.

"It that…are they…?" he trailed off, looking back at Drive's screen in embarrassment.

"I think its lunch time." Trinity said cheerily, pushing him away from the monitor. She had completely forgotten what Drive was in the process of doing when she had shown him the screen. Poor Mouse, by the look on his face she must have scarred the kid for life.

Switch couldn't help laughing at Mouse's horrified expression as he stumbled away from the monitor; his reaction was priceless. He ambled towards her, still looking slightly shocked.

"Come on lets get some food in you." she teased, wrapping her arm around his waist as they walked towards the mess hall. She felt bad for him but at least this had taken his mind off Cypher, they didn't need to worry about that. Or so she hoped.

When they reached the mess hall door she let go of Mouse, she didn't want Cypher to try and make any snide comments about that. Pushing the door open they walked into the crowed mess hall, trying to look as casual as possible. Which was more difficult than she had thought, her mind was racing between the one, the Oracle and the situation with Mouse. She was left feeling slightly overwhelmed at how the day had turned out and knew that it was far from over.

Looking around the table she quickly worked out that Apoc, Tank, Dozer and Cypher were in the middle of an intense game of high stakes poker. They called it high stakes whenever there was actually something on the line and the collection of socks, beanie's and razors told her that this was the case.

"Hey!" Apoc called when he saw them come in, a grin forming on his face. He was relived to see Switch again; he was starting to think that she wasn't coming back.

She waved at him as she walked over to the counter, serving up two bowls of slop. She offered one to Mouse and they both took a seat on the edge of the benches opposite each other, she sat down next to Apoc while Mouse took a seat next to Dozer. She hugged onto Apoc's arm, resting her head on his shoulder for a moment before letting him go. She didn't say anything but knew he would appreciate the tiny show of affection. But she had another underlying reason of trying and make a subtle point to Cypher. Picking up the spoon from beside her bowl she prepared to undertake her favorite activity. Mushing the food around in her bowl she looking across the table and watched as the four of them continued their game.

"So winner takes all?" she asked, putting the spoon back down after eating a few mouthfuls. There was a fairly impressive amount of belongings on the table, a beany, a few pairs of socks, some soap and an almost new razor. She wouldn't mind winning all that.

"You bet." Cypher agreed, putting his hand down on the table.

Switch smiled across at Mouse, it would be interesting to see who won. It was also encouraging to see Cypher acting normally; hopefully he had brushed off what had happened before. She went back to eating, forcing herself to eat the whole bowl full. She wanted to eat quickly and get out of here, the longer she stayed the more likely it was that someone would ask a question that she didn't want to answer. She also couldn't wait to get back to Trinity; she wanted to talk with her more about the one and didn't want to leave her out there alone for too long. She wondered when Morpheus would resurface and what on earth he would say when he did. She hadn't realized she'd spaced out until Tank's triumphant yell snapped her back to reality.

"Yuusss!" he cheered, clenching his fists in victory.

"Nice. I still think you were looking at my cards." Apoc teased, nudging Tank in the side.

"Now, now Apoc. Don't be a sour loser, I won far and square." Tank protested, a smug smile on his face.

"Uh-huh. Sure you did." Cypher mock agreed, giving Apoc a knowing look.

"Hey!" Tank protested, a frown forming on his face.

"What time is it?" Dozer asked suddenly, putting a stop to their banter.

"Just past four." Switch replied, remembering the timer she had seen on the monitor just before.

"Shit. Trinity's been on shift for at least three hours. She should have gotten one of us to take over." Tank said, jumping to his feet. "I'll go relieve her." he added as he walked over to the door. He turned around to smile at them before he pushed open the door and walked out onto the main bridge.

"Well." Dozer sighed. "I'd better make a move too, Morpheus could probably do with some help." Dozer muttered as hauled himself off the bench and stood to his feet. He gave them all a wave before he left the room, headed presumably towards the driving cabin.

They all sat in silence for a moment; Switch could feel Cyphers eyes on her but refused to meet them. She didn't what to encourage him to mention what had happened earlier.

Cypher let out a sigh and stood to his feet. "Your idea of having a shower sounds pretty tempting. Would anyone else like to come?" he asked, giving Switch a sly smile.

She rolled her eyes at him. Honestly, he was so disgusting. She couldn't believe he thought she had done anything with Mouse and worse he now seeing if she was keen on doing anything with _him._

"No? Okay, I'll see you all later then." Cypher replied to his own question when he saw that Switch wasn't going to say anything.

As he moved away from the table his eyes locked with Switch's and he gave her a meaningful look. His eyes were daring her to say something but she quickly lowered her gaze, unable to meet his eyes. No matter what he tried to imply she didn't have anything she needed to confess, she hadn't done anything wrong. With a smug smile Cypher turned on his heel and left the room, leaving Switch alone with Apoc and Mouse.

"What was that about?" Apoc asked, turning to stare at Switch in bewilderment. It had sounded like Cypher was trying to convince Switch into the shower with him. He tried to keep himself calm, if Cypher was lusting after Switch he would find that Apoc and Tank had something in common; they would both got to any means to protect the people they cared about. Apoc remembered not long after he had been ejected that Cypher had been in pretty bad shape after Tank had 'dealt with' his interest in Trinity.

"No idea." Mouse muttered, shrugging his shoulders as though he knew nothing.

"Just Cypher being his usually snarky self." Switch replied, laughing awkwardly.

The door to the mess hall was suddenly hauled open and Trinity stomped into the room, looking a little annoyed and deep in thought. Switch sighed in relief as she entered; thank god she was here. Apoc's last question had been a little too close to what she really didn't want to talk about.

Trinity walked over to the bench and pulled out a cup, placing it down on the counter top with far more force than necessary before filling it with water. She took a long sip of water and smashed the now empty cup back down onto the bench. Taking a deep breath she wandered back over to the table and sat down next to Mouse, slumping over the table. A scowl formed on her face as she crossed her arms and rested her chin on her forearms.

"What's wrong Trin?" Apoc asked, ducking his head down to look at her.

"Cypher's a dick." she muttered, sitting up straighter in her chair.

Switch smiled, she knew that all too well. Someone just needed to give him a good slap in the face. She had felt a little sorry for him earlier today when she had learnt about him being ejected over age but she didn't think that was any excuse for the way he was acting.

"What's he done this time?" Apoc sighed, his brows creasing in annoyance. Cypher was starting to really piss him off with the way he was treating Trinity, Mouse and Switch.

"Nothing just his snide comments are getting to me." she replied, brushing it off as though it didn't matter. "And Drive, god he's even worse." she added, shaking her head, she was sick and tired of all this bullshit.

"Tell me about it. Last night when I was on shift Morpheus asked me to keep an eye on the three of them, well now two, and he was at it not once but t_hree_ times, with different girls. It's bloody disgusting." Apoc agreed, his face scrunching up in distaste.

"Guys! We have innocent ears at the table!" Switch cried in mock horror, reaching across the table to cover Mouse's ears. She was only teasing really but still meant it; she didn't want Mouse to get embarrassed again.

Trinity and Apoc burst out laughing, shaking their heads when Switch looked at them in bewilderment.

"What?" she asked confused at to why on earth that was so funny.

"Innocent…" Apoc chuckled, looking pointedly at Mouse who was quickly turning bright red.

"He's far from it." Trinity muttered, giving him a disapproving look.

"Wait _you_ used to, to?" Switch gasped, looking at him in shock. She hadn't thought for a moment that Mouse had been anything like Drive.

He quickly shook his head, his eyes widening and his face burning bright red.

"He used to watch plenty of it." Apoc stated bluntly, his eyes scrutinizing Mouse's face.

No. She didn't believe it. She had thought he was a little was a bit of a perv when he watched Trinity but this? She didn't want to believe it was true.

"I couldn't help it, we're human aren't we? We're not machines, we you know… have certain instincts and to deny them is… well that's like denying our own humanity." Mouse stuttered, trying to defend himself.

"Oh god, they're going to eat that up in Zion." Apoc chucked, shaking his head in dismay. Mouse really was hopeless.

Mouse hesitatively looked up at Apoc, confused at to what he was getting at.

"The people in Zion have a similar mind set to you, embracing their sexuality and having pride in being human and all that." Trinity explained, giving him a small smile.

Mouse just nodded, unsure what he should say to that. He was surprised he had gotten off that easily and didn't want to risk saying anything else.

They all fell into an awkward silence after that, each looking around the table unsure what to say now. It was too awkward to continue that line of conversation but sitting in silence was almost just as bad.

"What does Zion look like?" Switch asked casually, as though they hadn't been talking about anything out of the ordinary.

"Hmm." Apoc pondered, turning to look at Trinity. It wasn't exactly an easy place to describe.

"It's a like a huge version of this ship mixed in with an underground tunnel system." Trinity said, trying to describe the unique city.

"Yeah, that's a good way of putting it. When you arrive there's a huge bridge were all the ships are repaired and docked when they're not in use. And then you go through a massive gate and enter into the city where everyone lives." Apoc explained, his eyes lighting up as thought about it. He missed Zion. It had been almost four months since he had last been and thinking about it made him wish he could go back soon, especially if Switch was also going to be there…

"In the living section there is a huge metal frame work made up of bridges and elevators that connect all the rooms and levels surrounding the ground floor. It's like a giant cylinder with rooms dug into the rock walls and metal making up all the pathways and doors." Trinity added, trying to give her a better description.

"It sounds amazing." Mouse sighed, looking excitedly at Trinity.

Trinity smiled at his enthusiasm, she had a feeling that Mouse was going to love Zion.

"So what do people do in Zion?" Switch asked. Her life here was consumed with the search of the one so what did everyone not on the ships do exactly?

"They live normal lives, well as normal as you can in the real world." Apoc replied, giving her a small smile. "People in Zion also make all the clothes and supplies for our ships." he added.

"Zion has lots of interesting things for the people who live there but for us on the ships when we go there it usually just to rest and have a good time." Trinity explained, giving Apoc a knowing look.

Apoc chuckled, a grin forming on his face. "I bet any crew member on a ship will tell you Zion is good for four things, sleep, food, partying and sex." Apoc answered, looking sideways at Switch.

Trinity shook her head. "Don't look at her as you say that! _Honestly_." she almost growled, shaking her head at him. "Don't listen to him Switch." she scolded, glaring dangerously at Apoc. She wouldn't have Apoc implying anything like that about Switch.

"_What_? I was speaking about everyone in general. Not all of those apply to everyone." he protested, his shoulders hunching in defeat.

"You had better have been." she teased, her eyes narrowing at him.

Switch smiled at their odd argument, she wasn't even sure who she agreed with or why they arguing in the first place. It was a fact, you couldn't deny that it was the thought of Zion that got you through the trying moments, like when you were freezing cold, hungry, or simply in need of some privacy.

Switch turned to look at the closed door of the mess hall when she heard the sound of pounding footsteps. A second later the door flew open and Tank's eager face rushed into the room. He almost collided with the table as he ran over to them.

"Woah take it easy there." Apoc laughed, steadying Tanks shoulders so he wouldn't fall over.

Tank took a deep breath, trying to pull himself together.

"What is it?" Trinity asked, a tinge if panic in her voice. Tank had been on shift, had something happened to Neo or Drive? She felt her heartbeat spike as she thought of Neo, she didn't want to even think about an Agent finding or killing him.

"We, I mean you, not me, are going into the Matrix tomorrow." Tank explained, stuttering as he almost jumped with excitement. This was what they had been waiting for and he was finally going to be able to operate for an official mission. He knew this mission would be dangerous but he was excited to be apart of it.

"What?" Trinity shouted, staring at Tank in shock. They couldn't be getting Drive out _now_, could they?

"Morpheus is taking you in to get Drive out." he replied as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Dozer is going to get Cypher and Morpheus will be down in a minute." he added, taking a seat next to Mouse.

Switch looked at Trinity, sharing a meaningful look. This wasn't going to turn out well. She knew for a fact that they were wasting their time but she could live with that, hell she couldn't live without it. As soon as they found the one she was a dead woman. She tried to push it from her mind; she needed to focus. If they were going back into the Matrix they would all be in danger yet again and she didn't want to die any earlier than she had too.

Cypher and Dozer wandered into the mess hall and took a seat next to Switch and Apoc. Dozer looked a little worn out and Cypher looked down right pissed.

"Morpheus is crazy." Apoc muttered to Dozer, shaking his head in bewilderment.

"Crazy? He's completely lost it. The man's a lunatic." Cypher replied, looking at the empty seat in front of him in disgust.

"There's no doubt he's crazy but we have to trust him." Tank protested, trying to defend Morpheus.

"He's not the one." Trinity stated bluntly, crossing her arms in annoyance.

"Oh really? What gave it away?" Cypher teased, smiling mockingly at her.

"We might as well humor him, if he wants to take him out then fine. This can be a practice run for when we do find the one." Trinity suggested, ignoring Cyphers comment.

"True. I mean what's the worst that can happen? He's not the one and we take him to Zion." Apoc added, trying to back up Trinity's point.

"And then we can take Neo out." Tank continued, smiling at all of them.

"Sure that's a great idea we'll just go to Zion and ask to take out some over ager on a whim." Cypher muttered, glaring at Tank. "This is the dumbest plan I have ever heard of. Morpheus doesn't have a clue what he's doing and might as well just admit it." Cypher added, turning to look at Trinity.

"I think Neo could be the one and Morpheus knows what he's doing." Tank objected, the veins in his neck twitching with anger.

"Neo _has_ shown more promise than anyone else." Trinity added quietly, giving Tank a small smile.

"Exactly. So it wouldn't be on some whim, we'll just have to be careful about how we break the news to him." Apoc amended, trying to calm Tank down. Tank wasn't one to get angry but Cypher had a way of making you feel degraded in an argument, which was enough to annoy even the most placid of people.

"Break what news to him?" Morpheus asked, leaning against the doorframe of the mess hall entrance.

Shit. Switch turned to look towards the door, she hadn't heard him come in and just hoped that he hadn't been there long.

"Morpheus!" Tank called, turning around to look at him as he walked over to the table.

Morpheus swung his legs over the bench and took a seat next Tank, looking across a Cypher who had turned suddenly quiet. Switch smiled, Cypher may talk bad behind Morpheus' back but he didn't have the guts to say it to his face.

"So…" Morpheus began, taking a deep breath as he looked around the table. "You've all heard that we are going to try and take Drive out of the Matrix." Morpheus began, trying to decide how to word this. He had a feeling that most of his crew weren't really onboard with this plan.

"Yeah we heard." Cypher muttered, his eyes down on the table.

"Trinity and myself have devised a plan for how to get him out. Its been decided that he should be contacted first and then met in person as this will help to ensure his cooperation." Morpheus explained, looking across at Trinity.

"Wait in person? You mean pick him up in the car like normal or…?" Apoc questioned, his eyes darting between Trinity and Morpheus in confusion. They didn't normally like to spend any more time than necessary inside the Matrix, every moment in there just increased the risk of being found by Agents.

"The plan is simple really. Apoc, Trinity and Switch you will go to our usual place and contact him, from there you will arrange a place to meet him. Once that is decided upon Switch and Trinity will meet with him and convince him to leave with them. Then Apoc will drive them back to the hotel." Morpheus clarified, simplifying the plan they had formed. He didn't go into detail as he wanted to break the news to them as quickly as possible.

"Why can't I go with them to meet him?" Apoc asked, sounding slightly annoyed. He knew exactly why Morpheus only wanted them to meet with him, Drive left places with woman all the time except for very _different_ reasons.

"We don't want to intimidate him. He will obviously underestimate us and not perceive us as any type of threat. A feat you may not be able to pull off." Trinity replied, giving Apoc a small smile. It was true but she knew the real reason why Apoc wasn't going to be happy with this plan, if it came down to it her and Switch were going to have to seduce him out of there.

"Exactly." Morpheus agreed, relieved that Trinity had though up something to say to that.

Apoc opened his mouth to protest, this didn't sit right with him.

"We can take care of ourselves, Apoc." Trinity cut in, giving him a look that warned him to drop it. They had more important things to work out than that.

"Anyway." Morpheus sighed, trying to change the topic. "We will contact him in the morning and arrange a time and place to meet." Morpheus said, looking around the table at the mixture of confused, annoyed and excited faces.

"You know what. Fine. That's all goods with me, lets just go risk our lives for some idiot." Cypher muttered as he stood up from the table. "Now if you don't mind I'm going back to my room. I'll see you all at dinner." he added, giving them all a mock smile before he turned and sauntered from the room, grumbling something inaudible under his breath.

Tank stared after him, shocked at his sudden reaction. He hadn't expected Cypher to act like that, Cypher was well known for his snide comments but not for his dramatics.

"Asshole." Tank muttered. He knew Cypher had a point but he didn't have to be such a dick about it.

Switch looked across at Trinity and raised her eyebrows. Cypher really knew how to make things worse. But as much as she hated to admit it Cypher was right, they were risking their lives for no real reason.

Morpheus looked across at Trinity, he knew he was in command but didn't like his plans to be met with such resentment. He knew this was an act of desperation but they had to try _something._

"Don't worry about it." Trinity stated, giving him a small smile. She didn't like his plan either but she had to go along with it, she didn't have a valid reason to object.

"I'm going to set course for Zion." Morpheus muttered, pulling himself up from the table.

"What, why?" Tank called, grabbing Morpheus' arm as he walked past him.

"We're getting close to time for a charge up and I'm going to need to speak with the council." Morpheus explained, without the slightest trace of enthusiasm in his voice.

"We'll help you then." Tank said, jumping to his feet. He gave Morpheus an encouraging slap on the back before walking out of the mess hall.

Dozer stood up from the table and walked over to Morpheus, giving him a reassuring smile before he followed Tank out into the main bridge.

Switch smiled at the way Tank and Dozer had so quickly jumped in to cheer Morpheus up. She had always viewed Morpheus as a fearless warrior, her commanding officer, and a wise leader but now that she thought about it he was human too. Morpheus had a huge weigh of responsibility placed on his shoulders and would need all their help if he was to complete the Oracles prophesy.

Morpheus turned to look at them, giving Trinity an almost apologetic look as he wandered out of the room. He knew that she was going to get questioned by the others and he was leaving her alone to deal with them.

The four of them were left alone again, still seated where they had been when Tank had come rushing in a moment earlier. Switch shook her head, turning to look at Apoc. She didn't know what to expect next, this day had been surreal. The Oracle, the one, this mission tomorrow, it was turning out to be one of the most eventful days she'd ever had in the real world.

"Trinity." Apoc questioned, trying to keep his voice calm. He wasn't mad at Trinity or even Morpheus if he was honest with himself but this plan was madness, there was no other way to describe it. What did anger him though was that only Cypher seemed to think the same as he did.

"Look Apoc, I know what your going to say and don't bother. There's nothing either you or me can say that will change Morpheus' mind. He knows just as well as we do that Drive is no more the one than, than _Mouse_ is but he wants to at least try." Trinity retaliated to the questions Apoc was yet to ask, trying to reason with him before an argument even started.

"Hey." Mouse protested, glaring at Trinity for a moment before he broke out into a grin.

Trinity smiled back at him, she appreciated his attempt to lighten the mood.

Apoc muttered something under his breath but didn't say any more on the matter. He had plenty he wanted to say but knew it wouldn't make any difference; Morpheus was set on this tactic. Switch reached out and took his hand, trying to comfort him a little. She didn't want for him and Trinity to fight because right now she would be taking Trinity's side. For mainly selfish reasons, she wanted to prolong the finding of the one for as long as possible.

They all sat in silence, Trinity unsure what to say now. She hadn't meant to snap at Apoc, he had a right to ask and she had shut him down before he could even say anything.

Switch gave Trinity a small smile; she knew this was difficult for her. She didn't know what to say either though; she was too heartbroken to make any logical decision based on this search. Her whole perspective had been skewed this morning when she had learnt that this search would result in both her own and Mouse's deaths. She looked across and Mouse and choked down a lump in her throat. It was too horrible to even think about Mouse, the little character that he was, dying long before his time.

"Well at least we will get to go to Zion soon." Mouse mumbled, trying to break the awkward silence. He looked shyly at Switch and Apoc hoping to get, specifically Switch's, mind off the search.

"Yeah." Apoc sighed, standing to his feet. "I'll see you all later, okay?" he asked as he wandered over to the door.

Switch began to stand up but Trinity pulled her back down, giving her a warning look. "Okay, see you later." Trinity called after his retreating figure.

Apoc didn't even turn to look back at them as he left the room. Switch knew he must be really annoyed or upset if he couldn't even look at her. She wanted to follow him and try to convince him that this had to be done but instead looked to Trinity; she must need something important if she was keeping her away from Apoc.

"Just leave him." Trinity stated; she needed to talk to Switch more than Apoc did right now. "He'll be fine." she added when she saw the concern in Switch's eyes.

Switch slowly nodded her head, curious as to what Trinity needed her for.

Trinity looked to the closed door of the mess hall then back at Mouse and Switch, now might be the only chance she got them alone.

"You okay Trin?" Mouse asked, noticing the nervous way her eyes were darting around the room.

"Yeah. I'm fine." she replied, quickly nodding her head. "Are you though?" she asked, looking at Mouse and studying his face for the panic she had seen earlier.

"Course." he answered almost too quickly, looking between Trinity and Switch in confusion. That couldn't be further from the truth but he knew that Switch wanted what had happened with the Oracle to stay private.

"Bullshit." Trinity countered, her eyes still scrutinizing his face. "I know _something_ is wrong." she stated, almost daring him to say otherwise.

Mouse didn't say anything, his gaze traveling between Trinity and Switch. He didn't want to risk agreeing or arguing with Trinity because this wasn't just his secret to keep and he didn't want to mess that up for Switch.

"Look…" Trinity sighed. "I know I have no right to ask either of you this but I know your hiding something from me." Trinity began, looking cautiously at Switch. She knew this was an intrusion on both of their privacy but she couldn't stand seeing the pained expressions the two of them where sharing. She had seen it back out on the main bridge and now again, and could pin point exactly when they had started acting like this. "It has to do with the Oracle doesn't it?" she asked quietly, unable to meet either of their gazes.

Mouse looked to Switch, his eyes questioning her as to what he should say. They could try and lie but he knew they wouldn't convince her. He was torn between wanting to tell her the truth and wanting to keep this private. He liked Trinity and knew he could trust her but he didn't want to risk losing it. Switch had told him they had to keep it together for the sake of the others and telling Trinity would be the final step in accepting his fate. He couldn't stop the tears that suddenly sprung to his eyes. He was going to die and there was nothing he could do about it. Not a week ago he had been freed from his own personal hell in the Matrix and now his life was being snatched away from him. Being on the Neb had made him feel more alive than he had ever felt inside the Matrix because this was the first place that he had been accepted for who he was. He knew he wasn't perfect, he was far from it, but they had all welcomed him in nonetheless. They had made him feel as though maybe this life was worth living. He had felt useless all his life and thought he had finally found his purpose in this world. But he was wrong. He wouldn't live long enough to be worth anything.

"Mouse?" Trinity questioned, reaching out to rub his arm gently. She immediately regretted asking him anything. She'd had a feeling his news hadn't been good but hadn't realized just how bad it was.

Switch locked eyes with Mouse, giving him a small smile. She took a deep breath, trying not to cry herself. She had kept it together this long and didn't want to lose it now.

"It's okay Mouse, you can tell her." Switch said, trying to calm him down. If telling someone would make him feel better then she wasn't going to stop him, the decision was his. She didn't want Apoc to know _anything_ about this but beyond that Mouse could tell whoever he liked if he really wanted too.

Mouse nodded, sniffling down any further tears. He rubbed his eyes, feeling embarrassed about breaking down in front of Trinity. He didn't want her to think he was any weaker than she probably already did.

"Okay." he began, his voice coming out coarse and shaky. "The Oracle told us…that, that we're going to, to..." he stuttered, almost giving into the sobs threating to take him over again. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "Die." he stated, his voice breaking as he told her. Saying it out loud seemed to somehow make it feel more real, it was like his whole body knew that it was true.

Trinity's mouth dropped and her hand came up to cover it. Water swelled up in her eyes as she looked between Mouse and Switch. She couldn't believe it; she didn't want to believe it.

"Where the one's path begins is where our path ends." Switch muttered, feeling numb as she repeated the Oracles words.

"No." Trinity choked out, shaking her head as tears rolled down her face. She refused to accept that they were going to die. She hadn't known them for long but had grown fond of them since she had first started watching them months ago. She didn't even want to think about losing them. She hid her face in her hands, unable to look at either of them. She knew she must be making this so much worse for them but needed a minute to pull herself together. Her mind flooded with an onslaught of emotions and her strong feral side warned her that she needed to distance herself from them. They were going to die and she would only hurt herself is she got any closer to them. In this line of work you had to be independent, you couldn't care, you couldn't love; it hurt too much. But she pushed that side away, she didn't care if when they died she had piece her broken heart back together because right now nothing would hurt more than pushing them away. They needed her now more than ever and she couldn't do that to them, she couldn't push them away. Not now, not ever.

"It's okay Trin." Switch mumbled, wrapping her arm around Trinity's shoulder. This was why she hadn't wanted to tell anyone, seeing Trinity cry over her death was almost more painful than knowing she was going to die. She could only image what it would be like if she told Apoc and she didn't even what to think what it would be like once she did die.

"I'm so sorry." Trinity sobbed, pulling Switch into a hug that wasn't like how they normally hugged, it was as though she could already feel her slipping away from her.

"Hey, I'm not dead yet." Switch chucked sadly, trying to keep herself from crying as her heart tightened painfully in her chest.

"Yeah." Mouse agreed, giving Trinity's shoulder a reassuring pat. He didn't want to see her cry any longer, they were going to die no matter what and crying about it wouldn't change anything.

Trinity nodded and let go of Switch, forcing herself to sit up straighter in her chair. She had to pull herself together, they were the ones who should need comforting and yet it was the opposite way around.

Switch looked at Trinity for a moment, waiting until she had calmed down. She had more she needed to say and didn't want to spring it on her until she was sure that Trinity had pulled herself together.

"You can't tell anyone about this." Switch requested, her eyes locking with Trinity's. It was bad enough that she knew but telling the others would be even worse.

Trinity nodded, she fully understood why Switch wouldn't want anyone else to know about this. Her mind went to Apoc, she couldn't bear the thought of him losing Switch; she knew this would tear him apart and he would be damaged beyond repair when she died. She didn't have to say anything though, Switch knew just as well as she did what this would do to him.

"Of course. This stays between us." she agreed, giving them a small smile.

"Trin, can you promise me something?" Mouse asked, looking shyly at her.

Trinity nodded, her eyes meeting his as he thought over how to phrase what he wanted her to do.

"Can we try and act as though nothing has changed. I don't want to spend the rest of my life sad. I want to live, to help find the one, and to go out fighting." Mouse said, giving them both a sad smile. It wasn't ideal but it was the best he could do with the life he had left to live.

"Definitely. We could have months or only days left, no one knows, but we have to make the most of the time we do have right now." Switch agreed, returning his smile.

"You know you're probably the bravest people I know." Trinity mused, looking them both over. Not many people she knew would cope with the knowledge of their deaths this well. Mouse was something else; he had gone through hell this week and still had a smile on face and Switch, god she was tough. Nothing could get to her anymore, not even death. She had changed so much over the past month, when she had first been ejected she was a just a scared little thing but now there was a strength to her. Something she hadn't seen in her since before she had been ejected from the Matrix, but this was different somehow. Her courage now wasn't because of fear; it was because of acceptance. They were so different and yet both so similar in the way they faced this with more courage than she had ever expected.

Mouse smiled, a genuine smile this time. He had never been called brave before and he knew it was true; he was going to be brave from now on. He had nothing left to lose.

"Come on then." Switch suggested, standing up from the table. "We can't spend all day moping around in here." she added, placing her hands on her hips as she waited for them to get up, a smile playing on her face. She didn't know what to say to Trinity's comment but it meant more to her than anything else she had ever said to her.

"Right you are." Mouse agreed, jumping to his feet and offering his hand to Trinity.

Trinity took Mouse's outstretched arm and climbed over the bench to stand beside him. Without another word they all left the mess hall and walked out onto the main deck, seeing Tank still seated at the monitor. He spun around when he saw them come in, a smile forming on his face.

"Oh hey, I didn't realize you guys were still in there." he called as they wandered over to him. His eyes narrowed in on Trinity's red puffy eyes as she came to stand beside him. He looked over Switch and Mouse and noticed that Mouse too looked like he had been crying. "You okay?" he questioned, looking at Trinity in concern.

"Yeah." Trinity nodded, giving him a warm smile. "I'm actually gonna go check on Morpheus and Dozer, see if they need any help." Trinity explained as she backed away from them.

"Okay, see you later then." Switch replied, waving as Trinity made her way over to the ladder leading up to the driving cabin.

Switch watched as Trinity hauled herself up the metal rungs and pulled open the door to the driving cabin, shutting the door tightly behind her. She pulled her eyes away and looked back at Mouse who was still standing beside her. She wanted to go see Apoc but felt bad about leaving Mouse on his own.

"You guys wanna check out the potentials, get a feel for what Drive will be like when we meet him tomorrow?" Tank asked, turning back around to face them.

"Sure." Mouse agreed, moving closed to stand beside Tank's chair and gesturing for Switch to take the other seat.

"Trinity was showing me before but you two go for it, I actually need to go talk to Apoc anyway." Switch explained, shuffling towards the door leading to the dormitories.

"Okay, take a seat then Mouse." Tank replied, tapping the seat next to him.

Switch smiled at Mouse as he sat down next to Tank before she dashed from the room. She hauled the door open and pulled it shut firmly behind her, leaving her alone in the cold dormitory corridor. She stood there for a moment, enjoying having some privacy. She hadn't even had a moment alone since the Oracle visit and wanted time to process what had happened but she knew that would have to wait. She wandered down the hall towards Apoc's room and stopped outside his door. She hesitated for a moment before she took a deep breath and reached out to tap her knuckles to the metal frame of his door. She heard Apoc's heavy footsteps rush over to the door and a second later the door was pulled open and Apoc looked out at her, a smile forming on his face when he saw her.

"Hey." he welcomed, standing aside so she could walk into his room.

She smiled at him and crept into the room, standing just behind him as he closed the door. He turned to face her but was no longer smiling. She sighed and ambled over to his bed, sinking down onto the cold woolen blanket strewn across it. He followed her and took a seat next to her, his eyes studying her face as she sat with her knees pulled to her chest. He knew she always did that when she was worried or scared about something. He felt bad about having stormed out before; Switch was obviously dealing with something worse than just this mission tomorrow.

"Switch." he questioned, reaching out to place his hand on her knee.

"Mmm?" she murmured as she turned to face him, her eyes locking onto his.

"Something's wrong." he stated, his eyes never leaving her face.

She shook her head, forcing a small smile. "It's nothing. Trinity's just stressed about tomorrow, hell we all are. But everyone's being so difficult about it and Trinity really doesn't need any extra pressure right now. It's just annoying me that's all." she explained, feeling awful with each word. It was true but she had said it in a way that made it sound like Apoc and Cypher were the problem. She knew it was harsh; his opinion wasn't what was bothering her but it was better than the truth.

Apoc didn't say anything but simply lowered his gaze, feeling sickened with himself. He knew he shouldn't have reacted like he had, Morpheus must know what he was doing. He had only made this even more difficult for Trinity, he knew that as first mate everyone would take out all there complaints on her and he didn't need to add to that.

"I'm worried about tomorrow." she mumbled, knowing that Apoc was at a loss for what to say. She was more scared about them though, she felt as though she was already losing him. She didn't have long left with him and didn't want to waste that time like this. They hadn't even argued really but she still felt as though they were at odds with each other.

"Me too." he replied, taking her hand in his and gently tracing the tendons on her hand with his fingertips.

She smiled and rested her head on his shoulder, feeling herself calm down a little after the stressful day.

"At least by the end of tomorrow we will know if Drive is the one or not." Switch added, closing her eyes for a moment. She was starting to feel a little tired even though it was only around five; the events of the day were starting to catch up with her.

"True and Morpheus has set course for Zion so we should be there in a few weeks." Apoc agreed, rustling her hair with the hand not holding hers.

"Yeah." she sighed, stretching out her arms as she hopped off the edge of the bed. "I should really get some sleep." she mumbled as she turned to face him, holding his hands as she stood in between his knees.

"It's only five?" he questioned, sliding his hands slowly up her arms before they came to rest on her shoulders.

"I know but I'm on shift at twelve, and it's a double so I won't be off until six tomorrow morning." she explained, her body automatically moving closer to his until they were almost chest to chest. She was slightly taller than him when he was sitting down and used that to her advantage, pushing her shoulders back to enhance the effect. He didn't seem to notice though, his eyebrows creasing as he looked at her in confusion.

"I'm on at three." he stated, titling his head to look at her.

"Not anymore. You took my shift last night so I'm taking yours." she countered, a smile forming on her face.

"What? You don't have to do that. I'm quite capable of taking my own shift." he protested, he didn't understand why she wanted to take his shift, surely she knew that she didn't have to make for last night in anyway. He had taken her shift so she would be better rested when she entered the Matrix, if anything he should be taking her shift again tonight.

"I know you are but I won't be able to sleep again at that time so I might as well take both." she explained, taking his hands again and pulling him to his feet.

"But-" he began as he clambered off the bed and stood to his feet.

"Shh." she cut in, stopping him from saying anything else. "It's fine, just walk me to my room." she requested, slipping her arm through his and giving him a shy smile.

"Okay." he sighed as he led her from the room. He knew there was no point in arguing with her; he could never win. She was so damn stubborn when she wanted to be.

He pushed open the door of his room and walked out into the corridor, still holding her arm as he led her over to her room. He turned to face her when they reached the door to her room. She let go of his arm and stood in front of him, giving him a sad smile as she leaned against the closed door of her room.

"Apoc…" she began, lifting her eyes to look at him.

"Yeah?" he questioned, taking a hesitative step towards her. There was something extremely arousing about the way Switch was pressed up against the door of her room.

"Can you do something for me?" she asked, giving him subtle look over.

"Anything." he blurted out, mentally kicking himself for how desperate that sounded.

"Could you check on how Trinity is doing? I know she would appreciate a little more support, she's feeling the weight of this mission more than the rest of us." she questioned, smiling shyly at him. She knew tomorrow would be so much easier of Apoc and Trinity were on good terms again.

"Course. I need to apologize to her for before anyway." he agreed, returning her smile.

"Thank you." she replied, a devilish grin forming on her face as she grabbed the hem of his jumper.

"Oh and one more thing." she chuckled as pulled him towards her.

He smiled and pushed her against the wall harder and pressed his body into hers until there was no space between them. He felt her shiver as his body covered hers and his hands moved to her waist, pulling her impossibly closer to him.

"And what would that be?" he breathed into her ear, his hands slowly running up her sides.

She didn't reply to him but instead wrapped her arms around his neck, moving his head in front of hers. Before she could say anything his lips crashed into hers, taking her by surprise. Her eyes widened before she relaxed into him, her lips moving against his as he titled her head to the side. Her heart started beating faster and she could hardly breath. She couldn't feel anything but him and his hands on her, which were slowly driving her to the point of madness. His tongue teased open her lips and slid into mouth, gently stroking her tongue as he deepened the kiss. She groaned into his mouth and forced her chest towards his. He resentfully pulled back for air and their bodies heaved against each other as they caught their breath.

She rested her head on his shoulder as she tried to calm down, she hadn't expected for anything that heated to happen between them.

"I should really get to bed." she sighed, soothingly stroking his hair as he clung onto her.

He pulled back to look at her, nodding his head sadly. He knew they were going to have to wait until they got to Zion before they could share anymore than these chaste moments but that didn't make it any easier.

"I'll see you in the morning then." he mumbled, placing a lingering kiss on her forehead.

She nodded, smiling at the change in this kiss. He had gone from complete passion to the sweetest of sincere and she loved both of them. Two separate emotions displayed simultaneously. She suddenly realized that Apoc was the only person to ever show her both of those together.

"Goodnight." she whispered as he took a step away from her. She quietly opened the door to her room and gave him as small smile as she shut it softly behind her.

She smiled to herself as she changed into her sleep clothes. She knew it would the moments with Apoc that would help her keep it together. She had accepted that her death was coming but her life wasn't over yet.

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Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you thought, reviews are honestly the best thing in the world! :) I actually cannot wait to write the next chapters so you should get an update soon! :D xx


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